title: [Indications and results of stereotactic radiosurgery with LINAC for the treatment of acoustic neuromas: preliminary results].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiosurgery is presently becoming an alternative to microsurgical resection of acoustic neuromas. The interest of radiosurgery consists in its lower morbidity compared to surgery and likely in similar rates of long-term tumor control. The goal of our study was to assess the clinical outcome (hearing preservation and neurological complications) as well as tumor control after low-dose radiosurgery for unilateral acoustic neuromas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Since April 2002, 22 patients with untreated acoustic neuromas underwent stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator (LINAC) and a micromultileaf collimator (mMLC, Brain Lab) at a low-dose of 12 Gy. The average age was 56.4 years (range 29-73 years). The treatment volume was 0.03 to 6.04 cm(3) (median 1.85 cm(3)). The median follow-up period was 18 months (range 6-36 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No morbidity was observed during the treatment. Preservation of a serviceable hearing (classes I and II according to the Gardner-Robertson scale) was achieved in 10 of 14 patients (71%). Radiological tumor growth control was obtained in all patients (100%). Trigeminal neuropathy was observed in two patients. One of these patients also experienced a slight facial weakness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low dose radiosurgery provides a low rate of post-therapeutic morbidity and yields the preservation of a serviceable hearing in 70% of cases. Tumor control is observed in all patients, but a longer follow-up period is needed to confirm the stability of the tumor size.
authors.affiliation: Service d'ORL et de chirurgie cervicofaciale, CHU Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. Alexandre.Radu@chuv.hospvd.ch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pica
authors.forename: J-G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Villemure
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maire
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome