False-positive magnetic resonance image in the diagnosis of small acoustic neuroma

A patient presented with sudden hearing loss on her Žrst visit to our department. Gadolinium-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the posterior cranial fossa portrayed an intracanalicular tumour image (2–3 mm), and the pure tone average (PTA) and speech discrimination score (SDS) values were 65 dB and 60 per cent, respectively. Surgical intervention to remove the suspected tumour was scheduled by the translabyrinthine approach. Intracanalicular observations by the retrolabyrinthine approach revealed limited oedema on the inferior vestibular nerve with vascular dilation. The tumour image disappeared two years after the operation. Surgical Žndings and the post-operative course advocate that gadolinium-DTPA-enriched MRI image of an intracanalicular lesion such as arachnoiditis might produce a false-positive result.

Digital Object Identifier:10.1258/0022215011909143
Published with permission from the copyright holder. This is the institute's copy, as published in Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Oct. 2001, Volume 115, Issue 10, Pages 842-844.
Publisher URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/0022215011909143
Copyright © Royal Society of Medicine Press Limited 2001. All rights reserved.