title: Diagnostic and surgical challenges in resection of cerebellar angle tumors and acoustic neuromas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cerebellopontine angle (CPA) lesions can mimic more common tumors through nonspecific symptoms and radiologic findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  To increase the preoperative diagnostic accuracy for CPA pathologies, the authors review the full spectrum of reported CPA lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A wide spectrum of lesions mimics vestibular schwannoma (VS) in the space of the CPA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of any suspicious clinical and radiographic finding uncharacteristic of VS makes it necessary to maintain a broad differential diagnosis list. Differentiation of CPA lesions, although challenging, may be best achieved by incorporating the clinical history, physical exam findings, audiometry results, and multi-modality imaging studies to construct a comprehensive preoperative knowledge of the lesion. This knowledge will allow improved operative execution and outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Jared
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gianaris
authors.forename: Aaron A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cohen-Gadol