Intra-Labyrinthine Schwannoma: Two-Cases Report

Intralabyrinthine schwannomas are uncommon tumours that arise from neural elements in distal branches of the 8th cranial nerve thus they are confined to or have arisen from the vestibule, the semi-circular canals, or the cochlea. The most common presenting symptom is progressive sensory neural hearing loss with or without tinnitus and vestibular symptoms. The diagnostic procedure of choice is gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Most of these patients can be managed with observation. The indications for surgery are limited. We present 2 patients with a diagnosis of intralabyrinthine schwannoma. A discussion of the management of the intralabyrinthine schwannoma follows.