Abstract
There have been only a few reports on cases of extracerebral cavernous angioma in the middle cranial fossa. The patient was a 45-year-old male with the chief complaints of hypoactivity and memory disturbance. On admission, memory disturbance and bilateral papilledema were confirmed neurologically. Plain craniograms revealed erosion of the left petrous bone. Computed tomography showed a high-density area in the whole left middle cranial fossa, which was slightly enhanced. Carotid angiography, however, indicated an avascular mass. Microsurgical total extirpation by a two-stage operation was successful in this case. The first operation was subtotal removal including excision of the tumor by loop electro-cautery followed by bleeding control with a bipolar coagulator. Total removal was performed in the second operation. The patient had mild postoperative disorders of the trigeminal and abducent nerves.
Total extirpation is difficult under these conditions because the operation is apt to cause bleeding and because the tumor contains the large artery and the cranial nerves. Therefore, the prognosis for this condition is poor despite measures such as the combined use of radiation.
