Case
About this case
Operative video: Schwannoma of the Cerebellopontine Angle (CPA), through the Retrosigmoid (Suboccipital) approach. The background notes below summarise the anatomy, pathology and approach, with published references.
Reference notes
Background
Notes on this case’s cranial location, pathology and surgical approach, with published sources. General education only, not advice for any individual patient.
Cranial Location
Cerebellopontine Angle (CPA)
The cerebellopontine angle is the wedge-shaped subarachnoid space between the pons, cerebellum and petrous temporal bone, traversed by cranial nerves V, VII and VIII and the AICA. It is the classic home of vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas, which present with hearing loss, tinnitus and imbalance.
Management balances tumour control against facial-nerve and hearing preservation, guided by intraoperative cranial-nerve monitoring. The retrosigmoid, translabyrinthine and middle-fossa approaches each trade exposure against the chance of preserving hearing.
