Rare tumours of the cerebellopontine angle

Abstract

The vast majority of cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumours are acoustic neuromas. However, in our series of 305 CPA tumours, one in five was another pathological lesion. Of the non-acoustic tumours, the majority were meningiomas, primary cholesteatomas and glomus jugulare tumours. A variety of rarely seen but fascinating pathologies were also treated. A study of these non-acoustic tumours has been carried out, looking at their relative incidence, histology and clinical features, as well as the radiological features that make them unusual and help to distinguish them from acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannomas). The otoneurosurgical procedures required to excise these intriguing lesions are also discussed.