Bulbar disorders in surgery of benign tumors of the cerebellar angle. Literature review

Surgical treatment of cerebellopontine angle tumors is a relevant and deeply studied topic of modern neurosurgery. Among brain tumors, cerebellopontine angle tumors account for 6–10 %. One of the important problems is dysfunction of the caudal group of nerves, which often occurs in the postoperative period, manifested by bulbar disorders of varying severity. The incidence of bulbar disorders in patients with benign neoplasms of the cerebellopontine angle before surgery ranges from 2 to 53 % and directly depends on the tumor size, the degree of compression of the brain stem and stretching of the caudal group of nerves. After surgery, the incidence of bulbar disorders varies from 0 to 58 %. Rehabilitation measures are a key element in the treatment of bulbar disorders and the prevention of their complications; they are aimed at restoring the conductivity of nerve fibers and preventing the development of secondary changes in the larynx. This article presents a review of foreign and domestic literature that highlights the problem of bulbar disorders in tumors of the cerebellopontine angle, as well as the possibilities of their rehabilitation.