Cerebellopontine angle pilocytic astrocytoma
A rare case of a 55-yr old patient of pilocytic astrocytoma of the cerebellopontine angle mimicking a vestibular schwannoma. The tumor protruded into the porus acusticus causing enlargement of the internal auditory meatus, which is quite an unusual feature of glial tumor 1).
Schneider et al. report a pilocytic astrocytoma of the cerebellopontine angle in a child presenting with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder 2).
Mirone et al. describe a rare case of pediatric pilocytic astrocytoma presented as a right cerebellopontine angle (CPA) mass, completely separated from the brainstem and arising from the proximal VIII cranial nerve portion.
A 12-year-old boy, with no evidence of neurofibromatosis type 2, presented with progressive hearing loss at the right ear and headache. An initial enhanced magnetic resonance examination suggested the diagnosis of schwannoma. The tumor was resected by a suboccipital retrosigmoid approach.
The case seems to be the first report of a primary pediatric CPA pylocitic astrocytoma arising from the VIII nerve complex and presenting internal auditory canal enlargement. It represents the third reported case of a primary CPA pilocytic astrocytoma (the second pediatric case with the first arising from V nerve) and the eighth report of primary CPA glioma, overall 3).
A case of pilocytic astrocytoma of the cerebellum mimicking an acoustic schwannoma. The tumour protruded into the porus acusticus and enlarged the internal auditory meatus, which is a quite unusual characteristic of glial tumours 4).