Bilateral Spontaneous Regression of Vestibular Schwannoma in Neurofibromatosis Type 2.

Abstract

Patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 and bilateral vestibular schwannoma (VS) are frequently treated surgically for any tumor progression, and often repeated surgery or radiation treatment is even considered. Some VS progression occurs without the development of new clinical symptoms, or it does not progress in size over many years, even in the absence of any specific treatment. A 61-year-old male patient with neurofibromatosis type 2 presented with bilateral VS. In a long-term follow-up, both had increased in size but also showed bilateral spontaneous regression during an 11-year follow-up period with a "watch-and-wait" strategy. We emphasize conservative treatment ("watch and wait") in older patients even with long-term tumor progression without significant compression-related clinical symptoms.