High resolution ct air cisternography in the diagnosis of small acoustic neuromas

✍ Scribed by Khangure, Makhan S. ;Dolan, Kenneth D.

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1983
• Weight: 515 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0148-6403
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.2890050607

✦ Synopsis

High resolution CT air cisternography was used to examine 38 patients with clinical findings and audiovestibular function studies consistent with a retrocochlear lesion. Four strictly intracanalicular lesions and 10 acoustic neuromas extending medially into the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) cistern by no more than 1 cm were detected and verified at surgery. There was one false-positive diagnosis produced by a tortuous inferior cerebellar artery branch. The contrast-enhanced axial scan was positive in only two patients. Both had extension of the tumor into the CPA by 1 cm. In these two cases the axial intravenous (IV) contrastenhanced scan provided more information than the air CT. A patient with suspected acoustic neuroma is best examined initially with an IV contrast-enhanced axial scan followed by CT air cisternography where the contrast study is negative.