title: Comparison of management options for patients with acoustic neuromas.
abstract: Management options for patients with vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas) include observation, tumor resection, stereotactic radiosurgery, and fractionated radiotherapy. In this report the authors review their 15-year experience with radiosurgery and discuss indications and expectations in relation to the different approaches. They conducted a survey of neurosurgeons to determine management preferences in two different cases of intra- and extra-canalicular tumor presentations. Patient decisions must be based on quality information derived from peer-reviewed literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. kondziolkads@msx.upmc.edu
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kondziolka
authors.forename: L Dade
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Lunsford
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Flickinger
mesh_terms: D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*