Risk factors associated with vestibulocochlear nerve schwannoma: systematic review.
The vestibulocochlear nerve schwannoma (VS) is a benign tumor that stems from the edge of the Schwann s sheath. It is considered the most frequent intracranial benign tumor, of low lethality rate and unknown etiology.


OBJECTIVE
to identify risk factors associated with VS.


METHODS
systematic review.


METHODS
electronic search of studies using the following key words: 'risk', 'schwannoma', 'vestibular', 'neuroma' and 'acoustic'. All original articles on epidemiological studies published in Portuguese, English or Spanish describing measures of association were included.


RESULTS
twenty case-control studies were found, most of them published in the United States. The analysis of those studies shows educational level, household income, occupation, exposure to ionizing radiation and noise, allergic diseases as well as the use of both cellular and cordless phones as risk factors for the VS.


CONCLUSIONS
methodological limitations and lack of precision in the findings impose limits to definitive conclusions concerning those risk factors. The current study contributes with information which can subsidize decisions related to the methodology to be used, having in mind new investigations on risk factors for VS. Therefore, it is of great help for knowledge improvement in this field.
Speech and Hearing Therapy Department, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
Ana Paula
AP
Corona
Jacqueline Carneiro
JC
Oliveira
Fábia Pinheiro Andrade de
FP
Souza
Liane Viana
LV
Santana
Marco Antônio Vasconcelos
MA
Rêgo
D000328:Adult; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors