Abstract

PURPOSE
To assess the radiologic response and cranial nerve morbidity in intracranial schwannoma patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-six patients with intracranial schwannoma were treated with linear accelerator- based SRS or FSRT between February 1995 and October 1999. The origin of schwannoma was acoustic nerve in twenty-one patients, facial nerve in two, trigeminal nerve in two, and glossopharyngeal nerve in one. SRS were performed with the median peripheral dose of 14 Gy (range 12-16), and FSRT were done with the median peripheral dose of 25 2 Gy (range 50-60).
RESULTS
With a median follow-up period of 33 months (range 12-67), the local control rate was 100%. Tumorregression was noted in eleven patients, and tumor stabilization was found in the remaining fifteen. Useful hearing preservation was achieved in two of three patients. Facial nerve neuropathy was shown in two patients and one patients developed trigeminal nerve neuropathy.
CONCLUSION
Stereotactic radiotherapy including SRS and FSRT provided excellent local control in intracranial schwannoma. It shows the possibility of a high rate of hearing preservation and an acceptable neurotoxicity, although the number of patients are small and follow-up is relatively short.

• Keywords: Schwannoma;Stereotactic radiosurgery;Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy