Epidemiology of acoustic neuromas

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Abstract
In Denmark 1 surgical team, during the last 7 yr, has prformed about 80% of all acoustic neuroma surgery. Because of this centralization; in such a limited population as that of Denmark, a epidemiological survey was attempted of all diagnosed tumors in the period from 1976-1983. Systematic and prospective records were made of all patients with translabyrinthine operations, and data on patients with suboccipital operations were collected retrospectively from the 6 neurosurgical departments in Denmark. The average annual incidence was 8 tumors per million inhabitants, with the highest incidence of .apprx. 13 tumors per million occurring in Copenhagen County. The incidence reported in previously published autopsy series is 800-900 times higher and the following may serve as an explanation for this enormous difference: Autopsy series are in all probability based on highly selected cases; they are predominantly based on elderly people and the incidence is not directly applicable to the population at large. Several of the silent tumors from the autopsy series were located in the cochlea or in the labyrinth and not in the internal ear canal. Both the knowledge and data available at present are insufficient to serve as a basis for an actual calculation of incidence and prevalence of acoustic neuromas. Continued epidemiological research on retrocochlear hearing impairment and on consecutive autopsy series may improve knowledge of the natural history and growth rate of acoustic neuromas and be of decisive importance for how active treatment should be.

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