(A088) Functional Outcomes after Partial Translabyrinthine Petrous Apicectomy Approach to Petroclival Meningiomas

Objective: To outline the hearing, facial nerve and surgical extirpation outcomes in patients undergoing a partial translabyrinthine petrous apicectomy (PTLPA) approach for resection of petroclival meningiomas.

Method: A retrospective case review was performed in a tertiary academic referral center for patients diagnosed with petroclival meningiomas and surgically managed via a PTLPA approach. Our primary outcome measures included pre- and postoperative auditory and facial nerve functions as well as extent of resection.

Results: Six patients were identified. All were female. There were five lesions on the right and one on the left. Average age of the group was 53 years. All had subtotal resections with residual tumor intentionally left to protect critical structures. Fifty percent of the patients maintained serviceable hearing and good (House–Brackmann 1–2/6) facial nerve outcomes postoperatively.

Conclusion: The PTLPA approach for petroclival meningiomas is a useful tool in skull base surgery. It affords similar exposure to facilitate extirpation as its more ablative counterpart (e.g., translabyrinthine) while allowing for equal preservation of auditory and facial nerve function likened to the traditional approaches (e.g., retrosigmoid and retrolabyrinthine approaches) in which exposure may be inadequate.

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).