OBJECTIVES To present a rare case of facial nerve paraganglioma and novel use of a processed allograft for facial nerve reconstruction. STUDY DESIGN Case report and review of the literature. METHODS A 34 year old female presented with progressive onset right sided facial palsy for 5 months. CT and MRI demonstrated an irregular mass in the right facial nerve canal from the intratympanic segm...

This article provides an introduction to radiation therapy as it applies to intracranial tumors. It also provides a review of the natural growth progression of acoustic neuromas and accuracy of tumor size determination. Literature on the use of linear accelerator stereotactic radiosurgery and fractionated radiotherapy in acoustic neuroma management is reviewed and summarized. Specifically, the ...

Facial nerve neuromas occur throughout the course of the facial nerve and its branches, however lesions occurring on the chorda tympani branch are exceptionally rare. We present a case where the diagnosis was made intra-operatively; the patient was pre-operatively thought to have had a cholesteatoma. Total resection is the treatment of choice for these cases. Early diagnosis, aided by high reso...

There are 3 approaches for the surgical treatment of acoustic neuroma namely: 1) translabyrinthine approach 2) retrosigmoid approach, and 3) middle fossa approach. The middle fossa approach was used for the removal of small or intracanalicular tumors, with or without serviceable hearing. The first case presented with severe right sensorineural hearing loss and facial palsy; the second with prog...

Isolated facial weakness suggests either a contralateral hemispheric lesion or a disease of the facial nerve per se. The presence of sensory symptoms usually indicates a central facial weakness, which characteristically involves the lower part of the face. In contrast, the absence of sensory disturbances suggests a peripheral nerve lesion, some system diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclero...

BACKGROUND Vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) most commonly presents with ipsilateral disturbances of acoustic, vestibular, trigeminal and facial nerves. Presentation of vestibular schwannoma with contralateral facial pain is quite uncommon. CASE PRESENTATION Among 156 cases of operated vestibular schwannoma, we found one case with unusual presentation of contralateral hemifacial pain. ...