Residual and recurrent acoustic neuromas.

A retrospective study was conducted on all 23 patients who underwent operation for residual or recurrent acoustic neuromas during the 10-year period January 1976 through December 1985. The most common symptoms at the time of reoperation were ataxia (16 patients), facial paresthesias (13 patients), and headaches (9 patients). Primary procedures had consisted of suboccipital posterior fossa approaches in 22 patients and a middle fossa approach in one. Reoperation for recurrent or residual tumor consisted of a retrosigmoid approach in 17 patients and a translabyrinthine or translabyrinthine/retrosigmoid approach in six patients. This study confirms that residual or recurrent acoustic tumors are not common. It also suggests that long-term follow-up, for at least 7 to 8 years, is indicated.