Meningioma of the Internal Auditory Canal With Rapidly Progressive Hearing Loss -Case Report-

Abstract

A 38-year-old male presented with a meningioma within the internal auditory canal (IAC) manifesting as rapidly progressive hearing loss over a period of one month. He had a 2-year history of tinnitus. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 10-mm intracanalicular tumor, which was surgically resected by a retrosigmoid lateral suboccipital approach. The histological findings showed meningothelial meningioma. The patient had no facial palsy after surgery, but his cochlear function did not recover. Common symptoms of IAC meningiomas are tinnitus and hearing loss, but rapidly progressive hearing loss is very rare. IAC meningioma is rare but should be taken into consideration as a cause of rapidly progressive hearing loss.

Meningioma mimicking vestibular schwannoma – a case report

“…The symptoms are caused by local growth of the tumor resulting in compression of surrounding nervous and vascular structures [11,12]. In the case of cerebello-pontine angle meningiomas, the most common symptoms are tinnitus, hearing loss, facial nerve palsy, dizziness, vertigo and trigeminal neuralgia [11][12][13]. Diagnostic imaging focuses around magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [14,15].…”

“…res of meningiomas are usually hard or even impossible to identify for IAM location [2]. Differentiation between IAM schwannoma and meningioma is one of the elements that help surgeons decide on the proper surgical management [13]. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice.…”

“…Two factors are crucial when deciding on the surgical approach: radiological image and the level of remaining hearing function. Three major approaches can be adopted for internal acoustic canal and cerebello-pontine angle tumors, including the middle fossa approach, translabirynthine approach and retrosigmoid approach [2,12,13]. Normal or slightly abnormal audiometry results should prompt the surgeon to chose the approach that enables hearing preservation.…”

Evaluation of Tinnitus in the Emergency Department

“…Compression of the auditory nerve itself may result in increased firing of afferent neurons to the auditory cortex, leading to a gradual or abrupt onset of subjective tinnitus. Tumors within the internal auditory canal may lead to tinnitus and hearing loss 39,40 . Vestibular schwannomas, or acoustic neuromas, arise from the Schwann cells surrounding the eighth cranial nerve, resulting in both hearing loss and tinnitus as well as vertigo and disturbances in balance 41 .…”

Meningiomas of the Cerebellopontine Angle: Radiological Differences in Tumors with Internal Auditory Canal Involvement and Their Influence on Surgical Outcome

“…Meningiomas account for 26% of primary intracranial neoplasms[ 1 ]. Among intracranial meningiomas, 5%–10% are located in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) [ 2 , 3 ], thus comprising the second most common tumors in this anatomic region [ 3 ].…”