Other Name: Vestibular Schwannoma

(Greek: 'Neuroma': 'nerve tumor')

Acoustic neuroma is a benign intercranial  tumor involving the myelin-forming Schwann cells  of the vestibular portion of the 8th cranial nerve in the peripheral nervous system. It is a slow-growing  tumor, which usually does not spread beyond its site of origin within the brain.

Before we go any further on acoustic neuroma  it is essential to give a run up to the  parts involved in the tumor formation.

The auditory nerve is a group of nerve fibers that transmit hearing information between the cochlea (situated in the inner ear) and the brain. The vestibular nerve, on the other hand, is responsible for carrying balance-related information from the semicircular canals of the ear to the brain. During their passage through the bony canals of the skull, the auditory and the vestibular nerves become conjoined  and  come to be known as the Vestibulocochlear nerve or the 8th cranial nerve.