Balloon compression, neuroendoscopy and electrophysiological monitoring-assisted retrosigmoid approach for resection of cholesteatoma in the cerebellopontine angle-Meckel's cave: a technical description.

We report a case of cholesteatoma that caused left facial pain with facial numbness. The tumour was located in the left cerebellopontine angle (CPA) and Meckel's cave. A balloon was first placed into Meckel's cave, and then, under electrophysiological monitoring, the tumour within the CPA cistern was resected via the retrosigmoid approach. The balloon was inflated in Meckel's cave to push the tumour out of Meckel's cave, and then, the tumour was completely removed under endoscopy. The symptoms, including pain and numbness, subsided after surgery.