What is Acoustic Neuroma?

Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumour that develops in the vestibular nerve, which lies very close to the auditory nerve. The vestibular nerve is responsible for balance, and the auditory nerve is responsible for hearing. The acoustic neuroma starts from schwann cells which cover the nerve and is sometimes therefore called a schwannoma. It is usually a slow-growing tumour and does not spread from its original site within the brain.

The nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord, and all the connections these have with the various tissues of the body. Most nerves in the body are connected first to the spinal cord, which runs through the space within each vertebra, and then to the brain. There are 12 pairs of nerves which arise directly from the brain and pass through openings in the skull to reach their locations. These are called the cranial nerves.

The eighth cranial nerve (properly known as the 'vestibulocochlear' nerve) is the one which serves hearing and balance. It is really in two parts: one part of the nerve is associated with transmitting sound information and the other with sending balance information to the brain from

The term acoustic neuroma is, strictly speaking, incorrect because the tumour arises usually on the part of the eighth nerve which deals with balance rather than sound. It also is a tumour of the covering (sheath) of the nerve rather than the nerve itself. Despite these inaccuracies, the term has stuck. True acoustic neuromas occur in conjunction with a fairly rare hereditary condition called neurofibromatosis 2, in which multiple cranial nerve tumours arise.

Acoustic neuroma is diagnosed only once per year per 100,000 people so from that point of view it is uncommon. However small acoustic neuromas, not causing any symptoms, can be found in up to nearly 3 per cent of elderly people. There is no known cause for these tumours, other than the hereditary type.

Acoustic neuromas usually grow slowly over a period of years and when large may press on normal brain tissue. Larger tumours can press on another nerve in the same area (the fifth cranial nerve or 'trigeminal' nerve) which is the nerve concerned with facial sensation.

The pattern of symptoms depends mainly on the exact place along the nerve that the tumour arises, which in turn determines which of the local structures (nerves and brain tissue) are pressed on first. As the tumours keep on growing a young person who develops Acoustic neuroma will almost always eventually develop Acoustic neuroma symptoms from it.

Acoustic neuroma is a slow growing benign tumour and symptoms often develop gradually over several years. The most common Acoustic neuroma symptom is loss of hearing in the affected ear. This may be accompanied by a buzzing or ringing noise in the ear (tinnitus) and a feeling of fullness and sometimes pain in the ear. Dizziness and poor balance are also fairly common.

1. Ear injuries,
2. Bad Ear infectious for a long time.
3. Using of hand phone for long time every day.
4. Nerves problems.
5. Inborn problems.
6. Old age.
7. Brain tumor
8. Kidney problem, weak or injury.
9. Some others are unknown.