Cervical spine meningioma presenting as otalgia: case report

Cervical spine meningiomas have not been reported to present as otalgia. It is important to include otalgia in the differential diagnosis and workup, especially when more common causes of ear pain have been excluded.

A 66-year-old woman presented to her primary care physician with severe ear pain. She underwent routine diagnostic testing and eventually was referred to a neurologist. After conservative management failed, the patient underwent cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed a large meningioma encompassing C2-C3.

The patient underwent a cervical laminectomy with complete resection of the tumor. She experienced immediate postoperative resolution of her symptoms.

This case illustrates the importance of aggressive evaluation of otalgia when routine diagnostic studies are inconclusive. Cervical meningiomas are associated with significant potential morbidity and should be excluded early in the diagnostic process.