Abstract
Cholesterol granuloma is the most common disease of the petrous apex. We report a case of petrous-apex cholesterol granuloma who was treated by the endoscopic transsphenoidal approach. A 34-year male presented to another clinic with a history of otorrhea and dizziness; CT revealed a shadow in the petrous apex, and he was referred to our department.
CT and MRI revealed that the lesion was adjacent to the sphenoid sinus, therefore, we attempted a transsphenoidal approach for endoscopy. We examined the cystic lesion by endoscopy and ruptured it. The brownish contents were discharged and the debris of the cyst was completely removed.
As compared to other approaches, the transsphenoidal sinus approach is simple, with a relatively low risk of postoperative complications such as nerve damage, hearing loss and cerebrospinal fluid leakage. In addition to, surgery can be treated of distinct vision. Thus, the transsphenoidal approach may be selected as the preferred approach for lesions of the cone apex in the future.
