Intraneural perineurioma of the VIIIth cranial nerve: case report.
OBJECTIVE
The authors describe the clinical and pathological features of the second reported case of an intraneural perineurioma involving a major intracranial nerve and the first case of this entity involving the VIIIth cranial nerve.


METHODS
A 59-year-old woman presented with a long history of dizziness, tinnitus, hearing loss, and unstable gait. A magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a small intrameatal lesion, which showed no clear progression from 2000 to 2006.


METHODS
As a result of worsening symptoms and a suspected vestibular schwannoma, an attempt of tumor resection through a retrosigmoid approach was performed. This revealed diffusely infiltrated and fusiform enlarged vestibular and cochlear nerves, with no identifiable border between the main tumor mass and normal nerve. An en bloc nerve-tumor mass excision was performed. The pathological findings confirmed the diagnosis of an intraneuronal perineurioma.


CONCLUSIONS
The experience with this unique case and the experience of others with the management of extracranial intraneural perineuriomas lead the authors to conclude that the most reasonable surgical management of this tumor at this location is a nerve-tumor cross-section resection.
Christoforidis
Mattheos
M
Department of Neurosurgery, Clemenshospital, Münster, Germany. mchristoforidis@web.de
Buhl
Ralf
R
Paulus
Werner
W
Sepehrnia
Abolghassem
A
D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000160:Vestibulocochlear Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery