Cholesterol Granuloma
These are lesions involving a central area of the skull base known as the petrous apex. The mass is typically filled with yellow fluid and represents a consequence of inflammation. As the mass grows it places pressure on adjacent structures causing headache, hearing, balance and facial nerve weakness.
Diagnosis of cholesterol granuloma is on clinical suspicion as well as high quality CT and MRI scanning (figure 6).
Figure 6 – MRI scan of a skull base cholesterol granuloma
Treatment options include watchful waiting, with regular imaging or surgery. Your SANAMI team that assesses cholesterol granulomas includes specialist skull base neurosurgeons and a neurotologist (ear surgeon with specialist cholesterol granuloma training). The team discusses each case, evaluates the CT/MRI images and offers the most appropriate management option based on each person’s individual circumstance and tumour. Along with your specialist surgical team our group only works with specialist trained neurosurgical anaesthetists, neurosurgical/ neurotological surgical nurses and neurosurgical ICU nurses. If surgery is appropriate for you and you elect to proceed with the operation, then your first post operative night and day will be in one of Australia’s most well respected and largest ICU units, North Shore Private ICU. The rest of your aftercare will be in a specialist neurosurgical post operative ward with neurosurgical nurses.
Patients with a skull base cholesterol granuloma expect excellent care. At SANAMI we look forward to providing you with the highest quality, most ethical, comprehensive and compassionate care possible. Visit the SANAMI difference.
|
