Pure endoscopic removal of epidermoid tumors of the cerebellopontine angle.
OBJECTIVE
Epidermoid tumors located in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) are challenging lesions because they tend to grow slowly in the subarachnoid cisterns around delicate neurovascular structures and often extend into surgical anatomic corners. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of purely endoscopic removal of the CPA epidermoids.


METHODS
Six patients harboring an epidermoid tumor located in the CPA were treated using an endoscope-controlled microsurgical technique. A retrosigmoid suboccipital approach was used in all patients. The cerebellomedullary cistern and the cisterna magna were opened to allow cerebrospinal fluid drainage and cerebellar drop, thus yielding a wide and straight working channel to the CPA. Then, the tumor and its capsule were removed by the modified microsurgical instruments.


RESULTS
The symptoms caused by mass effect of the lesion resolved after surgery. There were no deaths, but permanent deficits occurred in one patient whose cranial nerves VII/VIII complex was accidentally lesioned. Tumors and their capsules were totally removed in five cases. All patients were discharged 3-5 days after surgery. To date, no recurrences have been observed (follow-up range 14-50 months).


CONCLUSIONS
The endoscope-controlled microsurgical technique enables a safe tumor removal even when parts of the lesion are not visible in a straight line in CPA epidermoids. By angled endoscopic lenses, tumor extending into adjacent cranial compartments or surgical anatomic corners can be removed through a single small craniotomy without retracting neurovascular structures.
Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Guangzhou Dadao Bei Street, Guangzhou, 510515, People's Republic of China.
Yuping
Y
Peng
Lei
L
Yu
Yu
Y
Li
Jun
J
Fan
Mingxing
M
Qiu
Songtao
S
Qi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002530:Cerebellopontine Angle / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004814:Epidermal Cyst / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044583:Neuroendoscopy / Q000379:methods*