ANGIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF INTRA- AND EXTRAAXIAL TUMORS IN THE CEREBELLOPONTINE ANGLE

Angiography is an effective diagnostic modality in the evaluation of patients with suspected cerebellopontine angle tumor, particularly when there is not a clear clinical differentiation between an intraaxial and an extraaxial mass, or when the patient presents with increased intracranial pressure.

In a series of 17 extraaxial masses in the cerebellopontine angle and 2 cerebellar tumors which presented into the angle, the most common angiographic findings were:

1. elevation and/or medial displacement of the proximal portions of the superior cerebellar artery; this finding was seen only in the extraaxial tumors and has not been demonstrated with intraaxial masses;

2. downward, medial, and posterior displacement of the proximal portions of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery;

3. lateral displacement and stretching of the hemispheric branches of both the superior cerebellar and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries; and

4.displacement of the vein of the lateral recess and of the petrosal vein either downward and medially or upward and laterally.

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