Correlation 4: Acoustic Nerve Schwannoma

Note the mass between the pons and the cerebellum on the right. These tumors are often described as lying in the cerebellopontine angle.

A tumor can arise in the eighth cranial nerve. These tumors arise from the Schwann cells that surround the nerve. Thus, the tumor is a schwannoma. A person with such a tumor would present with unilateral hearing loss. As the mass expanded, it could cause problems by compressing other structures. Patients with such a lesion typically have headaches. Since these tumors are well-circumscribed, they are technically easy for a neurosurgeon to remove.