title: Radiation tolerance of normal temporal bone structures: implications for gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery.
abstract: Popular current thought states that hearing loss and facial weakness after radiosurgery of vestibular schwannomas is a function of cranial nerve damage. Although this may be true in some cases, the middle and inner ear contain rich networks of other sensitive structures that are at risk after radiotherapy and that may contribute to toxicity afterward. We reviewed the limited reported data regarding radiation tolerance of external, middle, and inner ear structures, and perspectives for therapy with gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery are addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Linskey
authors.forename: Peter A S
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Johnstone
mesh_terms: D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004423:Ear / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects