Abstract:

Internal auditory canal meningioma (IAC-M) is a special type of meningioma in the cerebellopontine angle, it originates from the dura mater in the internal auditory canal and the main body is located in the internal auditory canal. It is difficult to identify IAC-M accurately before operation, this is because IAC-M are very rare and most of them are case reports. All the meningiomas reported in the literature were misdiagnosed as vestibular neurilemmoma before operation. It is important to distinguish meningioma from acoustic neuroma preoperatively, because the choice of surgical approach and the formulation of surgical strategy are different due to different tumor types. The retrosigmoid sinus approach through the internal auditory meatus is an ideal approach for meningiomas of internal auditory meatus. In order to reduce the risk of recurrence, it is necessary to open the internal auditory canal and remove the tumor, including dura and bone involved in the tumor. This article reviews the diagnosis and surgical strategy of IAC-M.

Key words: Internal auditory canal meningioma, Cerebellopontine angle, Retrosigmoid via internal auditory canal approach