scholarly journals Evaluation of cerebellopontine angle epidermoid presenting with cranial nerve deficit: A surgical perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 573
Author(s):  
RaviShankar Prasad ◽  
Rahul Singh ◽  
Ashvamedh Singh
Author(s):  
Suyash Singh ◽  
Kuntal Kanti Das ◽  
Krishna Kumar ◽  
Kamlesh Rangari ◽  
Priyadarshi Dikshit ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Densely packed neurovascular structures, often times inseparable capsular adhesions and sometimes a multicompartmental tumor extension, make surgical excision of cerebellopontine angle epidermoids (CPEs) a challenging task. A simultaneous or an exclusive endoscopic visualization has added a new dimension to the classical microscopic approaches to these tumors recently. Method Eighty-six patients (age: 31.6 ± 11.7 years, M:F = 1:1) were included. Nineteen patients (22.1%) had a multicompartmental tumor. Tumor extension was classified into five subtypes. Sixty-two patients underwent a pure microscopic approach (72%) out of which 10 patients (16%) underwent an endoscope-assisted surgery (11.6%) and 24 patients (28%) underwent an endoscope-controlled excision. Surgical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Results Headache (53.4%), hearing loss (46.5%), and trigeminal neuralgia (41.8%) were the leading symptoms. Interestingly, 21% of the patients had at least one preexisting cranial nerve deficit. Endoscopic assistance helped in removing an unseen tumor lobule in 3 of 10 patients (30%). Pure endoscopic approach significantly reduced the hospital stay from 9.2 to 7.3 days (p = 0.012), and had a statistically insignificant yet a clearly noticeable lesser incidence of subtotal tumor excision (0 vs. 10%, p = 0.18) with comparable cranial nerve deficits but with a higher postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak rate (29% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.004). Conclusion Endoscope assistance in CPE surgery is a useful addition to conventional microscopic retromastoid approach. Pure endoscopic excision in CPE is feasible, associated with a lesser duration of hospital stay, better extent of excision in selected cases, and it has a comparable cranial nerve morbidity profile albeit with a higher rate of CSF leak.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (01) ◽  
pp. 47-49
Author(s):  
Emanuelle Braga ◽  
Luiza Köhler ◽  
Marcelo de Cesaro ◽  
Tasso Barreto ◽  
Richard Giacomelli ◽  
...  

AbstractVestibular schwannomas (VSs) account for ∼ 70% of all tumors of the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). Their clinical presentation is often insidious, with progressive hearing loss and involvement of other cranial nerves. Spontaneous hemorrhage in those tumors is very unusual, and generally presents with acute clinical features such as nausea, vomiting, headache and altered consciousness, usually with marked dysfunction of the cranial nerve involved, and with new deficits of neighboring cranial nerves. Asymptomatic patients are extremely rare. We present a case report of an incidental VS with asymptomatic bleeding, which evolved to death after surgery.


2003 ◽  
Vol 127 (11) ◽  
pp. 1475-1479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy S. Wu ◽  
William W. M. Lo ◽  
Donald L. Tschirhart ◽  
William H. Slattery ◽  
Joseph N. Carberry ◽  
...  

Abstract Context.—Lipochoristomas (lipomatous choristomas) are rare tumors of the acoustic nerve (cranial nerve VIII/vestibulocochlear nerve) within the internal acoustic canal and sometimes the cerebellopontine angle, and are histogenetically believed to be congenital malformations. Their clinically indolent behavior has recently prompted a more conservative management protocol in a quest for maximal nerve/hearing preservation. This approach contrasts sharply with that for the common internal acoustic canal/cerebellopontine angle tumors, the neuroepithelial neoplasms (acoustic schwannomas and meningiomas), which behave more aggressively and have more prominent clinical manifestations. Owing to their rarity, the clinicopathologic features of cranial nerve VIII lipochoristomas have been obtained mainly through case reports. Objective.—We present the clinicopathologic features of 11 cases of lipochoristomas of cranial nerve VIII. Design.—The 11 cases were documented between 1992 and 2003. We performed complete clinical reviews with histologic, histochemical, and immunohistochemical analyses of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples. Results.—The patients were 8 men and 3 women with hearing loss of the right ear (5 patients) or the left ear (6 patients). No patient had bilateral tumors. All lipochoristomas histologically possessed mature adipose tissue admixed with varied amounts of mature fibrous tissue, tortuous thick-walled vessels, smooth muscle bundles, and skeletal muscle fibers, the latter verified with immunohistochemistry. Conclusions.—The histomorphologic and immunophenotypic evidence showed that these tumors are better characterized as choristomas than as simple “lipomas,” as they have been labeled in the past. Their overall nonaggressive clinical nature in addition to the characteristic radiologic and histomorphologic findings are important clinicopathologic features for the pathologist to recognize and differentiate, especially during frozen section evaluations, in order to direct the neurosurgeon to a more appropriate conservative therapeutic intervention.


Author(s):  
Tiit Mathiesen ◽  
Petter Förander ◽  
David Pettersson

Sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS) is the commonest tumour of the cerebellopontine angle and comprise 6–8% of all intracranial tumours. The incidence varies between 12 and 20 cases per million inhabitants and years in different reports; a large minority of these tumours grow during follow-up. Treatment options include wait and scan, microsurgery, radiosurgery, and radiotherapy. Micro- and radiosurgery are well validated to offer long-term tumour control, but patients may suffer from hearing deficit and facial nerve paresis. Unexpectedly, long-term life quality is more affected by vertigo and headaches. Other cranial nerve schwannomas cause symptoms depending on the affected nerves and respond to the same therapies when treatment is indicated.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 73-75
Author(s):  
Sinjan Ghosh ◽  
Gautam Guha ◽  
Kaushik Roy ◽  
Annesh Bhattacharjee ◽  
Nikhil Repaka ◽  
...  

Tuberculoma involving the cerebellopontine angle is very rare. Preoperative neuroradiological features of such lesions may mimic neoplastic lesions. Our case presented with cerebellar features and multiple cranial nerve palsy. Neuroimaging mimicked CP angle neoplastic lesion. Antitubercular therapy and steroids resulted in significant clinical improvement and marked radiological reduction in size of the lesion. In our subcontinent a treatable infective cause like tuberculosis should be ruled out in CP angle lesions. Although rare but definitely a possibility to be considered.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neena I. Marupudi ◽  
Monika Mittal ◽  
Sandeep Mittal

Pneumocephalus is a common occurrence after cranial surgery, with patients typically remaining asymptomatic from a moderate amount of intracranial air. Postsurgical pneumocephalus rarely causes focal neurological deficits; furthermore, cranial neuropathy from postsurgical pneumocephalus is exceedingly uncommon. Only 3 cases have been previously reported that describe direct cranial nerve compression from intracranial air resulting in an isolated single cranial nerve deficit. The authors present a patient who developed dysconjugate eye movements from bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy. Direct cranial nerve compression occurred as a result of postoperative pneumocephalus in the interpeduncular cistern. The isolated cranial neuropathy gradually recovered as the intracranial air was reabsorbed.


2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 586-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann Romstöck ◽  
Christian Strauss ◽  
Rudolf Fahlbusch

Object. Electromyography (EMG) monitoring is expected to reduce the incidence of motor cranial nerve deficits in cerebellopontine angle surgery. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed analysis of intraoperative EMG phenomena with respect to their surgical significance.Methods. Using a system that continuously records facial and lower cranial nerve EMG signals during the entire operative procedure, the authors examined 30 patients undergoing surgery on acoustic neuroma (24 patients) or meningioma (six patients). Free-running EMG signals were recorded from muscles targeted by the facial, trigeminal, and lower cranial nerves, and were analyzed off-line with respect to waveform characteristics, frequencies, and amplitudes. Intraoperative measurements were correlated with typical surgical maneuvers and postoperative outcomes.Characteristic EMG discharges were obtained: spikes and bursts were recorded immediately following the direct manipulation of a dissecting instrument near the cranial nerve, but also during periods when the nerve had not yet been exposed. Bursts could be precisely attributed to contact activity. Three distinct types of trains were identified: A, B, and C trains. Whereas B and C trains are irrelevant with respect to postoperative outcome, the A train—a sinusoidal, symmetrical sequence of high-frequency and low-amplitude signals—was observed in 19 patients and could be well correlated with additional postoperative facial nerve paresis (in 18 patients).Conclusions. It could be demonstrated that the occurrence of A trains is a highly reliable predictor for postoperative facial palsy. Although some degree of functional worsening is to be expected postoperatively, there is a good chance of avoiding major deficits by warning the surgeon early. Continuous EMG monitoring is superior to electrical nerve stimulation or acoustic loudspeaker monitoring alone. The detailed analysis of EMG-waveform characteristics is able to provide more accurate warning criteria during surgery.


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