[Meningioma as the cause of ear problems].

A 45-year-old woman with long-term unilateral ear problems, hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus was diagnosed with a meningioma in the middle ear. Magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) revealed that the meningioma penetrated the petrous bone into the middle ear. The meningioma was removed to avoid further hearing loss. Patients with long-term unilateral ear problems that are resistant to conventional therapy should be referred to computed tomography, MRI and explorative tympanotomy. Surgery is indicated if progressions in neurological deficits are seen, but surgery may cause serious neurological deficits.