[Acoustico-facial cavernomas. Apropos of 2 surgically treated cases].
BACKGROUND
Acousticofacial cavernomas are rare lesions. Only 4 cases with a cerebellopontine extension have been reported previously whereas intrapetrous facial nerve cavernomas are well described in the otologic literature. In this paper, we describe two additional cases of acousticofacial cavernomas.


RESULTS
The two patients were operated via a translabyrinthine route with a preoperative diagnosis of vestibular schwannoma. In the first case, the lesion was confined in the internal auditory canal whereas the cavernoma extended into the cerebellopontine angle in the latter.


CONCLUSIONS
Diagnosis is suspected when facial nerve deficit strikingly reveals a small cerebellopontine angle lesion. MRI examination is not specific enough when the lesion is confined to the internal auditory canal. Treatment is based upon surgical removal although facial nerve impairment is often described as the main cause of postoperative morbidity.
Roche
P H
PH
Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite, Marseille.
Figarella-Branger
D
D
Malca
S
S
Soumare
O
O
Pellet
W
W
D000328:Adult; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002530:Cerebellopontine Angle; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D007758:Ear, Inner; D005154:Facial Nerve; D005260:Female; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve