[Clinical picture of 8th pair schwannoma. Is it expressive enough?].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the stage-related clinical features of 8th cranial nerve schwannoma.


METHODS
Descriptive study of 71 patients whose diagnosis and/or treatment have been carried out at our centre between 1997-2003. Gender, age, and symptoms were considered, with special attention to gender. Determination of tumoral stage following Tos and Thomsen image criteria.


RESULTS
The mean age was 64.6 (range, 20-87) with a marked incidence between 52 and 70 years (62 % of the whole), slightly higher in females and in the left ear. The main symptoms were those derived from involvement of the 7th and 8th cranial nerves, with other cranial nerves and cerebello-pontine structures being involved in larger tumours, although a high variability was noted in clinical patterns of same-stage cases and in the first symptom. Our study also found a high variability in hearing conservation and a marked frequency of vestibular or facial (motor and sensory) symptoms. There were also very infrequent forms of presentation that are highlighted.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no typical clinical pattern and no typical first symptom in 8th cranial nerve schwannomas. Any audiovestibular or facial symptom, even the slightest, may be the first expression of 8th cranial nerve schwannoma. There is no stage-specific symptom except for those with involvement of the cerebello-pontine or cerebral structures.
Coscarón Blanco
Enrique
E
Servicio de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cervicofacial, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, España. kikekoska@yahoo.es
Muñoz Herrera
Angel
A
Serradilla López
José Manuel
JM
Maillo Sánchez
Angel
A
Paniagua Escudero
Juan Carlos
JC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index