title: Facial nerve outcomes in facial nerve schwannomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To better understand the characteristics and outcomes of facial nerve schwannomas (FNSs) over a 30-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subspecialty practice at a tertiary hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six patients diagnosed with FNS over a 30-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative data (audiologic data, facial nerve [FN] function, and patient symptoms), intraoperative data (tumor location, total versus subtotal resection, and FN status), and postoperative data (audiologic data, FN function, and recurrence) were collected. Mann-Whitney and χ2 analyses were done to determine which factors correlated with poor FN outcomes (defined as House-Brackmann ≥ 4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 56 patients in this study, 53 (94.6%) underwent surgical resection of their FNS. Of those patients, 45 (84.9%) underwent total resection, and 8 (15.1%) underwent subtotal resection. Subtotal resection was associated with a statistically significant decreased risk of having postoperative HB grade ≥ 4 (odds ratio, 0.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.77; p = 0.028). Of those undergoing a subtotal resection, no patient had further tumor growth seen on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (average time of last magnetic resonance imaging since operation, 44.9 mo). Tumor location was not statistically associated with poor FN outcome (all p > 0.05). Preoperative FN paralysis was the only preoperative clinical finding statistically associated with poor FN outcomes (p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have identified multiple characteristics of FNS as well as multiple factors associated with increased statistical risk of poor FN outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8605, USA.
authors.forename: Theodore R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: McRackan
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: George B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Wanna
authors.forename: Mi Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Marc L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Mary S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: Mary S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Deitrich
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Glasscock
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Haynes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005155:Facial Nerve Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005830:Geniculate Ganglion / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D016634:Radiosurgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome