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By Mayo Clinic staffYour eighth cranial (vestibulocochlear) nerve has three branches, which transmit information from your inner ear to your brain. The cochlear branch carries sound. The superior vestibular branch and the inferior vestibular branch carry information regarding balance. Most acoustic neuromas develop on a vestibular branch.
The cause of acoustic neuromas is unknown. However, the tumors, in rare cases, are an indication of neurofibromatosis 2, a genetic disorder that involves the growth of tumors on the vestibulocochlear nerve. Tumors associated with neurofibromatosis often affect the nerve on both sides (bilateral).