Osteoma of the internal auditory canal mimicking vestibular schwannoma: Case report and review of 17 recent cases

Osteoma of the internal auditory canal (IAC) is an uncommon benign bone tumor. Its imaging features may be similar to other IAC lesions, such as vestibular schwannomas that are benign and usually slow-growing but sometimes life-threatening tumors. Thus, detecting IAC lesions and differentiating osteoma from other IAC lesions are both important clinically. We report a case of misdiagnosis of an IAC osteoma as an IAC schwannoma based on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using the three-dimensional constructive interference in steady state (CISS) sequence instead of T1-weighted MR imaging with gadolinium. We also review 17 cases of IAC osteomas reported in the past 22 years. A 61-year-old female was admitted to our department with IAC lesion incidentally discovered by the CISS sequence. The lesion was diagnosed as an IAC schwannoma, and was followed up annually under "wait and scan" management. Follow-up T1-weighted MR imaging with gadolinium showed no enhancement of the tumor, and additional computed tomography (CT) of the temporal bone showed a solitary pedunculated bony lesion, resulting in the diagnosis of IAC osteoma. The CISS sequence is useful for detecting small IAC lesions, such as vestibular schwannomas. However, the CISS sequence has limitations for qualitative diagnosis and can misdiagnose osteomas as schwannomas. Use of the CISS sequence without T1-weighted MR imaging with gadolinium for the screening of a lesion of the IAC and cerebellopontine angle should consider the possibility of IAC osteomas, and temporal bone CT or T1-weighted MR imaging with gadolinium should be performed when an IAC lesion is detected.