Ear and Skull Base Tumors
What You Should Know
Symptoms
Tumors of the head and neck are abnormal growths and fall into two broad
categories: benign, or non-cancerous; and malignant, or cancerous. The type
and severity of symptoms depend on the tumor size, type and location. Some of
the more common symptoms may include:
- Vertigo or balance problems
- Vision or hearing problems
- Facial weakness, twitching, numbness or pain
- Headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures
- Tinnitus
- Swallowing or Voice Difficulties
Causes
There are many different types of tumors that we treat, including:
-
Acoustic neuromas or vestibular schwannomas – A benign
mass that grows from the balance nerve
-
Meningioma – Tumors affecting the membranes surrounding
the brain and central nervous system
- Lower cranial nerve schwannomas - A benign tumor of nerve fibers
- Malignancies in the skull base and neck
- Carcinomas of the ear
- Glomus tumors or paragangliomas
Diagnosis
Imaging studies such as MRI or CT scan are most commonly used to determine
the type, size, location, shape and appearance of a tumor. If the tumor
type cannot be determined by an MRI or CT scan, a biopsy may be performed. Treatment
Tumors that are located near vital structures such as blood vessels,
nerves or the brain stem may be partially or completely surgically
removed and/or
treated with radiation therapy, gamma knife therapy or chemotherapy. Tumors
that are not located near vital structures and that are in a surgically
accessible area are often treated by surgical removal. At our Orange County and Los Angeles medical center, Dr. Shohet
advocates and employs
a multidisciplinary approach to treating a range of conditions of the
head and neck. He works closely with neurosurgeons, head and neck
oncologic surgeons,
and medical and radiation oncologists to provide the best possible therapy
for each individual.
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