Most translabyrinthine temporal bone defects are reconstructed with free abdominal fat grafts, with or without the use of hydroxyapatite cement. However, these procedures are associated with considerable morbidity at the graft donor site, with a 6 to 15% incidence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, and with postoperative headaches. We have developed a new technique for reconstructive craniopla...

In spite of the development of a superior (middle cranial fossa) and posterior (translabyrinthine) approach to the temporal bone, tumours situated in the infralabyrinthine and apical compartments of the pyramid and surrounding base of the skull were still a challenge for neurosurgeons and otologists as well. The infratemporal fossa approach closes the existing gap in the surgical management of ...

We describe two cases of dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) developing in a delayed fashion after translabyrinthine resection of cerebellopontine angle tumors. Two patients in an academic tertiary referral center, a 46-year-old woman and a 67-year-old man, underwent translabyrinthine resection of a 2-cm left vestibular schwannoma and a 4-cm left petrous meningioma, respectively. Both patients s...

The authors emphasise the key role of the state of the foramen Luschka in indication of neurootologic surgical approaches. Blockage of the foramen of Luschka with a medium or big tumour may impaire the CSF circulation. In such case the lateral transtemporal approaches--translabyrinthine and transotic are the best options. In all other situations where there is no blockage of the CSF circulation...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the postoperative auditory and facial nerve function results after cerebellopontine angle meningioma removal. DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING Tertiary care referral center. PATIENTS Twenty-one patients undergoing surgical removal of cerebellopontine angle meningiomas by the senior author (R.J.W.). INTERVENTIONS Translabyrinthine or retrosigmoid approa...

Two patients suffered from acute hearing loss of the contralateral side after acoustic tumor surgery were reported. The first patient was a 42-year-old-male. He had had a right progressive hearing loss over two years and CT scan revealed a mass of 20mm in diameter in the right cerebellopontine angle. The patient noticed the contralateral hearing loss on next morning after the total removal of t...

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...

Meningioma of the internal auditory canal is very rare. There are only 15 previous reports of intracanalicular meningioma. The authors add a case report of a patient with meningioma of the internal auditory canal. A 31-year-old woman presented with a one-year history of headache, dizziness, hearing loss and left facial paralysis. An MRI of the temporal bone demonstrated a tiny isointense intrac...