Middle fossa arachnoid cysts and inner ear symptoms: Are they related?

Arachnoid cysts most frequently occur in the middle cranial fossa and when they are symptomatic, patients present with central nervous symptoms. Nevertheless, a large proportion of arachnoid cysts are incidentally diagnosed during neuroimaging in cases with nonspecific symptoms.

The cases of two males with middle cranial fossa arachnoid cysts with nonspecific inner ear symptoms were retrospectively reviewed. The first patient presented with mild headache, nausea, vertigo, unsteadiness, and tinnitus on the left ear while the second patient's main complaint was left sided tinnitus. Both patients (initially managed for peripheral disorders) underwent a thorough clinical and electrophysiological evaluation. Because of the patients' persistent clinical symptoms, and indications of CNS disorder in the first case, neuroimaging by brain MRI was performed revealing a middle cranial fossa arachnoid cyst in both patients.

Occasionally, patients with arachnoid cysts may present with mild, atypical or intermittent and irrelevant symptoms which can mislead diagnosis. Otorhinolaryngologists should be aware of the fact that atypical, recurrent or intermittent symptoms may masquerade a CNS disorder. Hippokratia 2014; 18 (2):168-171.