A rare case of sudden facial weakness after Gamma Knife treatment
Original title: Gamma Knife Radiosurgery-Induced Acute Facial Palsy in Vestibular Schwannoma: A Case Report.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This is a report on one patient, not a new treatment being tested.
The short version
One man had sudden weakness on one side of his face soon after Gamma Knife radiation for a tumor on his hearing and balance nerve.
What was studied. Doctors reported on a single patient. He was a 42-year-old man with a tumor on the hearing and balance nerve on his left side. He had one session of Gamma Knife radiation at a dose of 11 Gy. His face worked normally before the treatment.
What they found. Seventy-two hours after the treatment, he had severe weakness on one side of his face. He also had severe dizziness and balance problems. A scan on day 6 showed changes inside the tumor, suggesting some of it had broken down. Steroid medicine helped the dizziness get better quickly. His face got better slowly. It had improved by 12 months, but it still was not fully normal at the last check at 20 months. The tumor itself stayed stable on scans.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Facial weakness this soon after Gamma Knife is very unusual. The doctors say only four earlier cases have been reported. It is also the first report at the lower dose of 11 Gy, instead of the 13 to 14 Gy used in the earlier reports. If you are having this treatment, it is fair to ask your team what side effects to watch for and when to call them.
What it doesn't mean: This is a report about one person, not a study of many people. One case cannot tell us how often this happens or who is at risk. It does not mean Gamma Knife is unsafe, and it does not mean the same thing will happen to you. It is not a new treatment, and it is not a cure or a promise of one. Talk with your own care team before changing any plan.
Source: PubMed, January 1, 2026 · Read the original
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