Meningioma of the internal auditory canal

A comprehensive literature search identified only 14 well-documented cases of intracanalicular meningioma. A case is presented of meningioma confined to the internal auditory canal which was excised using a sub-occipital retrosigmoid approach. Preoperative MRI and CT scans were suggestive of intracanalicular vestibular schwannoma. Only the intraoperative findings, which were confirmed by the histological data, revealed that the tumor was a meningioma. We review the literature and discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic issues relating to these tumors.