Surgical treatment of acoustic neuroma: Outcomes and indications.

AIM: Surgery for acoustic neuroma has developed over the years with a gradual improvement in outcome. The goal of surgery should be cure of the disease and a low morbidity, preserving facial nerve function - and hearing, too, whenever feasible (i.e. in small tumors). The most appropriate approach must be decided case by case.

BACKGROUND: Results of microsurgery remain heterogeneous, however, probably due to the different amount of experience gained at different centers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surgical series reported in the recent literature (2012-2015) were critically reviewed, along with some older papers with particularly representative series.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Considering patients' age, surgical morbidity of different approaches, tumor size and hearing, some principles can be identified on which to base surgical indications with a view to achieving the goals of curing the disease with a low morbidity, preserving facial nerve function and hearing, too, whenever feasible (i.e. in patients with small tumors). Different therapeutic approaches are discussed.