Research progress in the treatment of acoustic neuroma by minimally invasive surgery

The optimal treatment options for small and medium-sized acoustic neuromas are still controversial. The limitations of gamma knife are doomed to be the first choice for acoustic neuroma, and follow-up observation is only a negative attitude, and it will eventually lose the best time for hearing protection. This article, based on the defects of gamma knife and follow-up observation, summarizes the advantages of minimally invasive treatment and the cautions in the operation, and proposes that minimally invasive surgery is the best and correct treatment for small and medium acoustic neuromas. At the same time, from the pathological anatomy of the acoustic neuroma, it is suggested that the acoustic neuroma is an intra-arachnoid tumor, not a subarachnoid tumor. The the mechanism of the double arachnoid formation of the acoustic neuroma is described, the protection methods of the facial nerve and the cautions during the operation in the acoustic neuromas are reviewed, to improve the protection rate the anatomy and function of facial nerve and the auditory nerve. Key words: Acoustic neuroma; Facial nerve function; Arachnoid membrane; Microsurgery