What are Schwannomas?

By albert

Reviewed: Dr. Mera

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5. Complications of Schwannomas

While a majority of schwannomas occur with no symptoms and others show symptoms without the need for treatment, complications can arise either due to the tumors or the treatment given. As mentioned before in this discussion, schwannomas are tumors that grow within the tissues that form a sheath around nerves.

As these tumors grow, they can exert pressure on the nerves, which can lead to alterations in the conduction of neuronal impulses. The resultant dysfunction can lead to complications of schwannomas, which include pain, numbness, sensations of pins and needles, muscle weakness, and hearing loss. These complications occur in the areas of the body served by the affected nerves. Specific complications depend on the location of the schwannomas and the parts of the body associated with the affected nerves. Thus, for instance, loss of hearing, ringing in the ears, facial weakness, and chronic headache are complications of schwannomas of the vestibular nerve; while sciatic pain is a complication of schwannomas of the sciatic nerve. Finally, surgical resection may be an option for treatment in some cases. The most common complication of this procedure is a type of nerve injury called neuropraxia, a transient conduction block of the motor or sensory function of a nerve that does not involve nerve degeneration.