Facial Nerve Outcomes After Vestibular Schwannoma Microsurgical Resection in Neurofibromatosis Type 2.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate facial nerve outcomes after microsurgical resection in neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) compared to sporadic tumors.

STUDY DESIGN: Single institutional retrospective chart review.

SETTING: Tertiary referral center.

METHODS: All adult patients with NF2 vestibular schwannoma (VS) or sporadic VS who underwent microsurgical resection from 2008 to 2019 with preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 1 year of postsurgical follow-up were included. The primary outcome measure was postoperative House-Brackmann (HB) facial nerve score measured at first postoperative visit and after at least 10 months.

RESULTS: In total, 161 sporadic VSs and 14 NF2 VSs met inclusion criteria. Both median tumor diameter (NF2, 33.5 mm vs sporadic, 24 mm, P = .0011) and median tumor volume (NF2, 12.4 cm3 vs sporadic, 2.9 cm3 , P = .0005) were significantly greater in patients with NF2. The median follow-up was 24.9 months (range, 12-130.1). Median facial nerve function after 1 year for patients with NF2 was HB 3 (range, 1-6) compared to HB 1 (range, 1-6) for sporadic VS ( P = .001). With multivariate logistic regression, NF2 tumors (odds ratio [OR] = 13.9, P = .001) and tumor volume ≥3 cm3 (OR = 3.6, P = .025) were significantly associated with HB ≥3 when controlling for age, sex, extent of tumor resection, translabyrinthine approach, and prior radiation.

CONCLUSION: Tumor volume >3 cm3 and NF2 tumors are associated with poorer facial nerve outcomes 1 year following microsurgical resection.