A METHOD OF TREATMENT FOR PERSISTING CEREBELLAR ENCEPHALOCELE OF THE TEMPORAL BONE

Temporal lobe herniation or meningoencephaloceles through the tegmen b one are rare entities but are well-described lesions in the literature . They can be successfully approached through the middle fossa alone o r combined, with a transmastoid approach, and are repaired with fascia , bone, or cartilage. However, cerebellar encephaloceles penetrating t he posterior fossa dural plate and presenting as pulsatile postauricul ar mass are rare. In this paper, we report successful treatment of a c erebellar encephalocele by cranialization of the mastoid cavity using a calvarial bone graft and closure of the external auditory canal. A p rior suboccipital approach, as recommended by others, had failed.(1) T he patient has remained well for 1 year with no recurrence.