Surgical treatment of jugular foramen meningiomas

We present our experience with surgery of jugular foramen meningiomas with special consideration of clinical presentation, surgical technique, complications, and outcomes.

This retrospective study includes three patients with jugular foramen meningiomas treated by the senior author between January 2005 and December 2010. The initial symptom for which they sought medical help was decreased hearing. In all of the patients there had been no other neurological symptoms before surgery. The transcondylar approach with sigmoid sinus ligation at jugular bulb was suitable in each case.

No death occurred in this series. All of the patients deteriorated after surgery mainly due to the new lower cranial nerves palsy occurred. The lower cranial nerve dysfunction had improved considerably at the last follow-up examination but no patient fully recovered. Two of three patients with preoperatively impaired yet functional hearing deteriorated after surgery with no subsequent cranial nerve VIII function improvement. In one case postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery was performed due to non-radical tumour resection (Simpson Grade IV) and tumour remnant proved stable in the 4-year follow-up. None of the patients have shown signs of tumour recurrence in the mean follow-up period of 56 months.

Jugular foramen meningiomas represent one of the rarest subgroups of meningiomas and their surgical treatment is associated with significant risk of permanent cranial nerve deficits.