Jugular foramen neuromas: a review of 14 cases

We present 14 patients with jugular foramen neuromas treated in the professorial unit at the National Hospital, Queen Square, in the 20-year period from 1969 to 1989. The growth characteristics and associated symptomatology of these tumors are variable, and often they do not give rise to a typical jugular foramen syndrome, making differentiation from other low cerebellopontine angle tumors difficult and occasionally impossible. One tumor presented mainly in the neck, but the remaining 13 were predominantly intracranial and their anatomical relationships as defined radiologically determined the surgical approach used. Nine tumors were resected using a posterior fossa approach, three required a combined posterior fossa and neck dissection, and one a combined supratentorial and infratentorial craniotomy. The aim of operation was total excision of the tumor, which was achieved in 10 patients; the remaining three all suffered recurrence. There was no operative mortality and little long-term disability.