Editor: Matthew L. Carlson, MD
Associate Editors: Michael J. Link. MD, Colin L.W. Driscoll, MD, Brian A. Neff, MD, Jamie J. Van Gompel, MD, Kelly D. Flemming, MD, John I. Lane, MD, Neil T. Shepard, PhD, Robert L. Foote, MD.
llustrator: Robert F. Morreale, MS, CMI. FAMI
Publisher: Thieme – 569 pages
Book Review by: Nano Khilnani

About 2,000 to 3,000 cases of vestibular schwannoma (VS) are diagnosed each year in the United States, an article in Wikipedia points out. This works out to about 6 to 9 per million people in the current U.S. population of 330 million.

According to some studies published in Denmark in 2012, there were 19 to 23 cases per million diagnosed between 2002 and 2008. Over the last 30 years, reports of VS have been rising due primarily to advances in MRI screening. Those who were found to have VS were typically between the ages of 30 and 60, with no particular gender preference, and no family history of this condition.

Among the symptoms of this disorders are: reduction in hearing capability (leading to loss if untreated), tinnitus (ringing in the ear), or loss of balance in the vestibular system in the inner ear. One risk factor is a rare genetic mutation termed NF2. Treatment options are radiation, surgery, and rehabilitation, or a combination of these.

One hundred fifty-six specialists in various fields from all around the United States and 13 other countries – Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Greece, India, Italy, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom – wrote the chapters of this extensive book

This book of almost 570 pages provides extensive coverage of vestibular schwannoma. Due to the large number of chapters in this book, numbering 84, we provide you below the list of its 10 Parts which serves as an overview of the contents of this book:

  1. Part I – Background (Chapters 1 to 5)
  2. Part II – Disease Presentation and Diagnostic Evaluation (Chapters 6 to 10)
  3. Part III – Management: Overview (Chapters 11 to13)
  4. Part IV – Management: Conservative Observation (Chapter 14)
  5. Part V- Management: Radiation (Chapters 15 to 25)
  6. Part VI – Management: Microsurgery (Chapters 26 to 49)
  7. Part VII – Treatment Outcomes (Chapters 50 to 60)
  8. Part VIII – Medical and Surgical rehabilitation (Chapters 61 to 72)
  9. Part IX – Controversial or Challenging Aspects of Care (Chapters 73 to 77)
  10. Part X: Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (Chapters 78 to 84)

Additional information is available to you when you register your copy of this textbook online. Go to: www.MedOne.Thieme.com/9781626233317. Then, input the access code found by scratching off the film found on the inside front cover of this book, or scan the QR code found there.

This is an authoritative, extensive, and well-illustrated and expertly organized textbook on the subject of vestibular schwannoma, discussing its causes, controversies, diagnoses, and treatment options, including radiation, rehabilitation, and surgery.

Editor:

Matthew L. Carlson, MD is Professor of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery and Program Director of the Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery Fellowship in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Associate Editors:

Michael J. Link, MD is Professor of Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology and Program Director of the Neurological Skull Base Fellowship in the Department of Neurologic Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Colin L.W. Driscoll, MD is Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Brian A. Neff, MD is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Jamie J. Van Gompel, MD is Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology and Program Director of the Neurosurgery Residency Program in the Department of Neurologic Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Kelly D. Flemming, MD is Associate Professor of Neurology in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

John I. Lane, MD is Professor of Radiology in the Department of Radiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Neil T. Shepard, PhD is Professor of Audiology and Vestibular Medicine in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Robert L. Foote, MD is Professor and Chair in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.                                                                                                                                               

Illustrator:

Robert F. Morreale, MS, CMI. FAMI is Associate Professor of Biomedical Communications, and Chair of the Division of Biomedical and Scientific Visualization at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.