Arachnoid Cyst of Internal Auditory Canal: how the Temporal Bone Findings Explain Ear Symptoms and Suggest the Best Treatment to do
Keywords:
Arachnoid cyst; Internal auditory canal, Temporal bones study, Schwannoma of internal auditory canal, Cystic schwannoma, MRI findings, Surgery of internal auditory canal.Abstract
Objective: Aim of this short review is to identify relevant findings in clinical and surgical treat
ment studying arachnoid cyst of internal auditory canal.
Study design: Retrospective study of relevant papers in literature.
Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar searches using the following keywords: arachnoid cyst,
internal auditory canal, temporal bones study, schwannoma of internal auditory canal, cystic
schwannoma, MRI findings, surgery of internal auditory canal. Only the article where three
keywords, included always arachnoid cyst, were considered. The study analyzed the etiopatho
genesis of arachnoid cyst, hearing and vestibular symptoms and temporal bone findings.
Review and conclusion: The author identified and reviewed a total of 46 articles. The results
showed high incidence of hearing loss that was the more common symptom than vestibular
one. Arachnoid cyst carried out more compression on the vestibular nerves than on the cochlear
one. The review allowed us to identify which mechanism of damage arachnoid cyst acting on
the nerves. It is necessary to consider the arachnoids cyst in differential diagnosis with tumors
and pathologies involving the internal auditory canal.
