Diagnosis of small acoustic tumors by air CT cisternography

Abstract

Air CT cisternography was performed by collecting a small amount of air, introduced by lumbar puncture, in the cerebellopontine angle cistern, and when combined with target imaging, this technique enabled high spatial resolution. Eight patients clinically suspected of having small acoustic tumors were evaluated by this method. Air CT cisternogramy outlined four small tumors, three of which had not been demonstrated by intravenous contrast-enhanced scan. One tumor was totally intracanalicular. The VIIth and VIIIth cranial nerves were well demonstrated in the cerebellopontine angle cistern. Side effects of this technique were headache, nausea, or vomiting. Air CT cisternography was the method of the choice in the neuroradiological diagnosis of small and intracanalicular acoustic tumors.