Neurosurgery
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There is evidence that macrophage infiltration in the tumor microenvironment promotes vestibular schwannoma (VS) growth. Efficacy of bevacizumab in NF2-associated VS demonstrates the value of therapies targeting the microvascular tumor microenvironment, and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) may represent another druggable target. ⋯ There is a strong positive correlation between TAM infiltration and volumetric growth of VS, and this relationship is independent of tumor size. There is a colinear relationship between TAM infiltration and tumor vascularity, implying that inflammation and angiogenesis are interlinked in VS. Chemokines known to induce monocyte chemotaxis are found in higher concentrations in patients with growing VS, suggestive of a potential pathophysiological mechanism.