Evaluation of dizziness in patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma (brughoektumor)

Currently the vestibular function is not well described in patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma, nor is the effects of the different treatment modalities; surgery, radiotherapy or active surveillance. The vestibular symptoms such as dizziness, balance disturbance and/or vertigo are reported to have a major negative impact on the quality of life of the patients with vestibular schwannoma.
Hence, we aim to describe the vestibular function, function changes and dizziness related symptoms in vestibular schwannoma patients undergoing surgery, radiotherapy or active surveillance.
This study will increase our insight into the vestibular function and the impact of treatment strategy in this patient group. This in turn will help improve counselling of patients, enable adequate interventions if possible, and improve the quality of life of the patients with vestibular schwannoma.

Vestibular schwannoma treatment have an impact on the vestibular function of vestibular schwannoma patients. Our hypothesis is that surgery and radiotherapy will impair at a certain point after treatment the vestibular function, while the active surveillance group will remain stable as long as the tumor size remains stable too.

For the surgery group: before treatment, 5 to 7 days, 7 to 14 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 to 12 months after surgery. For the radiotherapy group: before treatment, 6 weeks, 4 to 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after radiotherapy. For the active surveillance (wait and scan) group: baseline evaluation, 6 months, 12 months, 1 to 2 years.

Surgery, radiotherapy and active surveillance (wait and scan)