Conservative management versus surgery for small vestibular schwannomas.

A high rate of deterioration in hearing function and the loss of patient compliance during conservative management should be taken into account when considering hearing preservation strategies for patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS). To compare conservative management with surgery for solitary small VS. Among 693 patients followed up for VS between 1991 and 2002, 114 (16%) intracanalicular VSs (stage 1) and 302 (44%) VSs measuring <15 mm in the cerebellopontine angle (stage 2) were included in this study. Initially, surgery was performed in 305 (73%) cases (50 stage 1, 255 stage 2) and 111 (27%) were managed conservatively (64 stage 1, 54 stage 2) by means of annual MRI scans and audiometry. Conservative management was chosen in patients aged >60 years and in those who refused surgery. In this subgroup, the mean follow-up period was 33 months (range 6-111 months). In the conservative management group, 47% of VSs showed significant growth, 47% were stable and 6% showed regression. Seventeen patients (15%) were operated on secondarily for tumour growth and 1 (1%) was irradiated for tumour growth and because surgery was contraindicated. Deterioration of hearing function by > or =1 class was observed in 56% of cases, 34% of patients were initially in hearing class D and only 10% showed stable hearing function. Of the conservative management group, 17% were lost during follow-up. After surgery, grade 1 or 2 facial function was obtained in 86% of cases. Following hearing preservation attempts (n=137), 54% of patients were in hearing classes A-C.