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Background: The incidence of small vestibular schwannomas in patients with serviceable hearing is increasing because of the widespread use of MRI. The middle fossa approach provides the patient with an opportunity for tumor removal with hearing preservation., Objective: To determine the rate of hearing preservation and facial nerve outcomes after removal of a vestibular schwannoma with the use of the middle fossa approach., Methods: A retrospective case review at a tertiary, academic medical center was performed identifying patients from 1998 through 2008 that underwent removal of a vestibular schwannoma by the middle fossa approach. Preoperative and postoperative audiograms were compared to determine hearing preservation rates. In addition, facial nerve outcomes at last follow-up were recorded., Results: Forty-six patients underwent a middle fossa craniotomy for the removal of a vestibular schwannoma. Of the 38 patients that had class A or class B hearing preoperatively, 24 (63.2%) retained class A or B hearing and 29 (76.3%) retained class A, B, or C hearing. When tumors were 10 mm or less in patients with class A or B preoperative hearing, 22 of 30 patients (73.3%) retained class A or B hearing. When the tumor size was greater than 10 mm in patients with class A or B preoperative hearing, 2 of 8 patients (25%) retained class A or B hearing. At most recent follow-up, 76.1% of patients had House-Brackmann grade I facial function, 13.0% had House-Brackmann grade II facial function, and 10.9% had House-Brackmann grade III facial function., Conclusion: Hearing preservation rates are excellent using the middle fossa approach, especially for smaller tumors. No patient experienced long-term facial nerve function worse than House-Brackmann grade III.

Background: The incidence of severe, chronic postoperative headache in patients undergoing elective surgery for unruptured aneurysms is unknown. In addition, no clear risk factors have been identified for the development of postoperative headache., Objective: To evaluate intradural drilling of the anterior clinoid process as a mechanism for the development of postoperative headache after open aneurysm repair., Methods: A retrospective review of 128 patients undergoing open surgical treatment for unruptured, proximal carotid aneurysms treated at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center between January 2004 and December 2007. Patients who required intradural drilling of the anterior clinoid process were compared with patients in whom additional drilling was not necessary. The presence of postoperative headache and the duration and severity were noted., Results: In 28% of patients who underwent surgery with intradural clinoidectomy severe headache developed vs 7% of patients without clinoidectomy. This result was statistically significant (P < .05, Fisher exact test)., Conclusion: Intradural drilling of the anterior clinoid process was associated with an increased incidence of postoperative headache compared with no resection. This implicates either the dural manipulation necessary to expose the clinoid and optic strut or the introduction of bone dust into the subarachnoid space as potential risk factors for postoperative headache.

Objective: The goal of this study was to analyze the natural history of symptomatic brainstem cavernomas (medulla, pons, or midbrain) and outcome after surgical resection., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of all patients who presented to our institution with symptomatic brainstem cavernomas between 1995 and 2007 (n = 44)., Results: After a first neurological event, the median event-free interval was 2 years, with an annual event rate of 42%. After a second neurological event (new neurological deficit or significant worsening of the previous deficit), the median event-free interval was only 5 months, with a monthly event rate of 8%. After an observation period of up to 8 years, all patients ultimately underwent surgery. In 95% of the patients, surgery successfully prevented further events during a median follow-up period of 11 months (1 month-7 years; P < 0.001). The postoperative event rate was 5% per year in the first 2 years and 0% thereafter. In the multivariate analysis, only the preoperative modified Rankin scale score was predictive of the surgical outcome (odds ratio, 36.7; P = 0.015). The conditions of 2 patients (5%) were clinically worse compared with their preoperative conditions during the 1-year follow-up period; in one of these patients, this was caused by recurrent events. There was no mortality., Conclusion: The event rate of symptomatic lesions seems to be high, particularly after recurrent events. Surgical morbidity can be low. Timely and complete surgical resection is recommended for symptomatic brainstem cavernomas to prevent patients' functional decline owing to recurrent events.