Management of posterior cranial fossa meningiomas

Posterior cranial fossa meningiomas are relatively common extra-axial tumors with important relationships to the cochleovestibular system, facial nerve, and/or cranial base. Nevertheless, objective reporting of auditory and vestibular function is rare for this patient population, and a full discussion of the nonsurgical management is all but totally discounted in the otolaryngology literature. Nine cases (8 operative cases) are presented, with the purpose of correlating neurotologic function with precise anatomic tumor location, available by magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. The usefulness of this information for diagnosis and meaningful scrutiny of the operative results is discussed. A comprehensive review of posterior fossa meningiomas in terms of epidemiology, etiology, and pathology, as well as nonsurgical treatment alternatives, is provided.