Surgical management of petrous apex meningioma.
When centered in the petrous apex, meningiomas behave like other neoplasms occuring in that region. The petrous apex can be approached by several routes: posterior craniectomy; middle fossa craniectomy; translabyrinthine, transcochlear, and transethmoidosphenoid approaches. A patient harboring a malignant meningioma in her petrous apex is presented. A middle fossa craniectomy, coupled with posterior displacement of the facial nerve, allowed access to the entire temporal bone from above. The patient received postoperative irradiation.
D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000601:surgery; D005004:Ethmoid Bone / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D013100:Sphenoid Bone / Q000601:surgery