title: Postoperative imaging of vestibular schwannomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assess the need for serial magnetic resonance imaging after vestibular schwannoma surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study included all patients who underwent vestibular neuromas surgery over a five-year period from 1996 to 2000 at a single tertiary referral center. Analysis of tumor recurrence and correlation with enhancement types on postoperative imaging was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the five-year period, 359 cerebellopontine angle tumors were removed. The 299 patients had MRI imaging at one and five years for analysis and a five-year follow-up examination. Of these patients, 284 were found to have no enhancement at both one and five years. Linear enhancement was seen in ten patients but did not enlarge in any patient. Nodular enhancement of the internal auditory canal was observed in three patients. Two patients with nodular enhancement had tumor recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complete vestibular schwannoma resection has a low recurrence rate. Initial imaging should be performed at one year. Only patients with enhancement, subtotal resections, or neurofibromatosis type II need serial imaging.
authors.affiliation: Otology Group of Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. marc.bennett@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Marc L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: C Gary
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Warren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies