Radiation necrosis of the brain after radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to obtain a better understanding of radiation-induced brain necrosis after stereotactic radiation therapy for vestibular schwannomas.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a retrospective case analysis.

SETTING

The study took place at a tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS

We report on the case of a patient treated with stereotactic radiation who developed radiation-induced necrosis of the ipsilateral temporal lobe.

INTERVENTION

The various interventions in patients with radiation-induced necrosis include steroid treatment, decompression, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy; these are discussed briefly in this article. Owing to the limited symptoms in our patient, she was observed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The outcome measure that we evaluated was radiation-induced necrosis of the brain after stereotactic radiation therapy for a vestibular schwannoma.

RESULTS

Patients who undergo stereotactic radiation therapy for vestibular schwannomas are at risk for radiation-induced brain necrosis.

CONCLUSION

We support the development of a national database that would track the long-term complications of stereotactic radiation therapy to help patients make a more informed decision for the treatment of their vestibular schwannomas.