Cystic Acoustic Schwannoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract

A cystic acoustic neurinoma almost entirely consists of a cystic component and is a well recognized subtype of acoustic schwannoma. We report a case of a 40-yearold male patient who presented with clinical features of a left cerebello-pontine angle mass lesion and CT scan findings mimicking the diagnosis of an epidermoid cyst. However intraoperative and histopathological findings were suggestive of a large cystic acoustic schwannoma. We have also analyzed the characteristics, clinical symptoms and radiological findings of these tumors. In the presence of a large cystic cerebellopontine angle tumor without a significant hearing loss and no destruction of the internal auditory canal, the possibility of the cystic acoustic neurinoma should be considered.