What is an Acoustic Neuroma?

An acoustic neuroma (or vestibular schwannoma) is a brain tumour which is benign and in most (but not all) cases is usually slow growing.  The cells that form an acoustic neuroma are called 'schwann' cells, and make up the lining of the eighth cranial nerve as it passes through a tiny canal which connects the inner ear to the brain.  Unknown events lead to an overproduction of schwann cells and as they multiply, they form a small tumour which fills the canal.  As the tumour expands, it extends into the brain, assuming a pear shape and putting pressure on the nerves and brain.

An acoustic neuroma grows on the acoustic nerve (vestibulocochlear nerve), which helps control hearing and balance. The acoustic nerve runs alongside the facial nerve, which carries information from the brain to face muscles.

The most common symptoms related to an Acoustic Neuroma are:

Hearing loss

Tinnitus

Vertigo/off balance

Headaches

Less common symptoms are:

Blurred vision

Numbness to one side of the face.

How common is an Acoustic Nueroma?

All types of brain tumour are relatively rare. Every year, approximately 20 people out of every million in the population are diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma.

Acoustic neuromas tend to be more common in women than men, although the reasons for this are not yet understood. People between 40 and 60 years old are most often affected. The condition is rare in children.

Information taken from NHS- Choices & British Acoustic Neuroma Association

What is Neurofibromatosis type 2?

Neurofibromatosis type 2 is a rare condition which causes multiple tumours to grow which affect the nervous system.

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is the least common type of neurofibromatosis, occurring in about 1 in 25,000 people.

Almost everyone with NF2 will develop tumours on their hearing and balance nerves at each side of the brain, this can result in complete hearing loss depending on the size of the tumours.

Spinal tumours are also very common in NF2 patients. Other tumours can appear on any nerves in the body.

NF2 is caused by a genetic mutation. This is where the instructions that are carried in all living cells become scrambled in some way. As a result, one or more of the body’s processes do not working correctly.

In half of all cases of NF2, the genetic mutation is passed down by a parent to their child.

In other cases, the genetic mutation appears to develop on its own in a child with no family history of the condition. This is called a “sporadic mutation”.