Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cerebellopontine angle lesions in children

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Child's Nervous System Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Cerebellopontine angle (CPA) lesions are more commonly found in adults in which they account for 5–10% of all intracranial tumors. However, they are uncommon in children, with an incidence of only 1%.

Materials and methods

This is a review of the management of CPA lesions in children admitted to the Hospital Nacional de Pediatría “Profesor Doctor Juan P. Garrahan” (Argentine National Pediatrics Hospital “Professor Juan P. Garrahan”) between January 1988 and December 2003.

Results

The series included 30 children with 33 CPA lesions, 20 arising from the subarachnoid space of the CPA and 13 from the vicinity and growing mainly into the CPA. Twenty-seven tumors were located in the left CPA (82%) and six (12%), on the right. Ten of the 30 patients developed hydrocephalus, but only three of these required treatment. All patients underwent retrosigmoid suboccipital craniotomy and microsurgical resection. Gross total removal was achieved in 12 cases, subtotal in 18, and fenestration of the cyst wall in the three arachnoid cysts. Ten patients have no sequelae, ten have mild deficit, three have severe deficits, and seven have died.

Conclusion

The CPA is a rare location for lesions in children, with clear predominance on the left side. Benign lesions are more frequent. Even though schwannoma is the most frequently found lesion, the histology varies widely.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Darrouzet V, Martel J, Enee V, Bebear JP, Guerin J (2004) Vestibular schwannoma surgery outcomes: our multidisciplinary experience in 400 cases over 17 years. Laryngoscope 114(4):681–688

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Goda M, Isono M, Karashima A, Kasai N, Kobayashi H (2003) Hamartoma in the internal auditory canal. J Clin Neurosci 10(1):111–113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Jallo G, Woo H, Meshki C, Epstein F, Wisoff J (1997) Arachnoid cysts of the cerebellopontine angle: diagnosis and surgery. Neurosurgery 40(1):31–37

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kato T, Sawamura Y, Abe H (1995) Trigeminal neuralgia caused by a cerebellopontine-angle lipoma: case report. Surg Neurol 44:33–35

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kumar R, Achari G, Mishra A, Chhabra DK (2001) Medulloblastomas of the cerebellopontine angle. Neurol India 49(4):380–383

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kurtsoy A, Pasaoglu A, Koc R, Oktem I, Kontas O (1996) Cerebellopontine angle germinoma. a case report. Neurosurg Rev 19:127–130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Moffat DA, Quaranta N, Baguley DM, Hardy DG, Chang P (2003) Management strategies in neurofibromatosis type 2. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 260(1):12–18

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Pirouzmand F, Tator C, Rutka J (2001) Management of hydrocephalus associated with vestibular schwannoma and other cerebellopontine angle tumors. Neurosurgery 48(6):1246–1254

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Pothula VB, Lesser T, Mallucci C, May P, Foy P (2001) Vestibular schwannomas in children. Otol Neurotol 22(6):903–907

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Romaniuk C (1992) Case report: granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma) presenting as a cerebellopontine angle mass. Clin Radiol 45:284–285

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Roser F, Nakamura M, Dormiani M, Matthies C, Vorkapic P, Samii M (2005) Meningiomas of the cerebellopontine angle with extension into the internal auditory canal. J Neurosurg 102(1):17–23

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Samii M, Carvalho GA, Schuhmann MU, Matthies C (1999) Arachnoid cysts of the posterior fossa. Surg Neurol 51(4):376–382

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Samii M, Matthies C (1997) Management of 1000 vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas): the facial nerve-preservation and restitution of function. Neurosurgery 40(1):684–694

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Samii M, Matthies C, Tatagiba M (1997) Management of vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas): auditory and facial nerve function after resection of 120 vestibular schwannomas in patients with neurofibromatosis. Neurosurgery 40(4):696–705

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Samii M, Tatagiba M, Piquer J, Carvalho GA (1996) Surgical treatment of epidermoid cysts of the cerebellopontine angle. J Neurosurg 84(1):14–19

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Sanford R, Kun L, Heideman R, Gajjar A (1997) Cerebellar pontine angle ependymoma in infants. Pediatr Neurosurg 27:84–91

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Schroeder HW, Oertel J, Gaab MR (2004) Endoscope-assisted microsurgical resection of epidermoid tumors of the cerebellopontine angle. J Neurosurg 101(2):227–232

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Sohma T, Tuchita H, Kitami K, Hotta H, Ishiguro M, Takeda T (1992) Cerebellopontine angle ganglioneuroblastoma. Neuroradiology 34:334–336

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Takada Y, Ohno K, Tamaki M, Hirakawa K (1999) Cerebellopontine angle pilocytic astrocytoma mimicking acoustic schwannoma. Neuroradiology 41:949–950

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Wiet RJ, Mamikoglu B, Odom L, Hoistad DL (2001) Long-term results of the first 500 cases of acoustic neurinoma surgery. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 124(6):645–651

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Nacional de Pediatria “Juan P. Garrahan”, Cavia 3063-17A, 1425, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Graciela Zúccaro & Fidel Sosa

Authors
  1. Graciela Zúccaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fidel Sosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Graciela Zúccaro.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zúccaro, G., Sosa, F. Cerebellopontine angle lesions in children. Childs Nerv Syst 23, 177–183 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-006-0208-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-006-0208-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation