Leksell Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Schwannoma

Czech version

Authors: M. Hynková ¹; R. Liščák ¹; D. Urgošík ¹; J. Vymazal ²
Authors‘ workplace: Oddělení stereotaktické a radiační neurochirurgie, Nemocnice Na Homolce, Praha ¹; Radiodiagnostické oddělení, Nemocnice na Homolce, Praha ²
Published in: Cesk Slov Neurol N 2007; 70/103(2): 178-185
Category: Short Communication

Overview

Within 12-year period (1992–2004) 19 patients with trigeminal schwannomas underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery at our department of Na Homolce Hospital. Fifteen patients already had a follow-up after the treatment, and they were observed for the minimum of 12 and the maximum of 120 months, median 54 months. The group of patients consisted of 8 women and 7 men with the median age of 45 years. Seven patients underwent one to three microsurgical operations before radiosurgery. The tumour target volume ranged from 2 100 mm3 to 18 000 mm3 (median 9 600 mm3). Thirteen patients were subjected to irradiation of the whole tumour volume, in two cases the irradiation was only partial. The minimum tumour marginal dose ranged from 10 to 15 Gy (median 12 Gy) and it was delivered to 50 % isodose line. The tumour growth control was reached in 93 % (14 cases). In 3 patients, the tumour regressed completely, and in 8 patients there occurred a significant reduction of the tumour volume. No further tumour growth was seen in one case, progress appeared in three cases. Eleven (73 %) patients showed clinical improvement, 2 were without any change, and new neurological symptoms occurred in one patient. The fifteenth patient whose large tumour compressing the brain stem had been subjected to partial irradiation died of septicaemia 9 months after the treatment. Five patients had a cystic type of schwannomas, and four of them suffered from transient neurological deficits after irradiation as a consequence of an enlargement of the cystic part of the tumour. Two cases were tackled by stereopuncture, the third case was dealt with by the cyst marsupialisation. Radiosurgery has shown to be an effective primary as well as secondary treatment modality for small- and medium-size trigeminal schwannomas as the local tumour growth control is 93 % with a low morbidity.

Key words:
trigeminal schwannoma – trigeminal neurinoma – Leksell Gamma Knife – radiosurgery – stereotaxy – therapy

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