title: Intracochlear schwannoma presenting as diffuse cochlear enhancement: diagnostic challenges of a rare cause of deafness.
abstract: Intracochlear schwannoma is a rare, treatable, cause of unilateral hearing loss. Due to the small size, position, and variable clinical and imaging features, diagnosis presents a significant challenge and is often delayed. We present a case of a patient with an intracochlear schwannoma presenting as a diffuse enhancement of the cochlea, mimicking an infectious or inflammatory process. The absence of focal nodularity in this lesion on multiple high-resolution MRI examinations led to a delay of over 3 years from the patient's initial presentation to surgical diagnosis. Clinical history and examination, imaging features, pathologic findings, and surgical management options are described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, 10833 LeConte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Moriarty
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linetsky
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishiyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003051:Cochlea / Q000473:pathology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000209:etiology*; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery