Objective pulsatile tinnitus caused by intrapetrous dissecting aneurysm

Intrapetrosal dissections is a special kind of intracranial dissection sinc e it is located intracranially but extradurally. Only three reports of spon taneous intrapetrosal dissection have been published so far, the posttrauma tic intrapetrosal dissections caused by penetrating or blunt trauma not inc luded. Based on the clinical and radiological presentation a treatment with anticoagulantia (a coumarine derivative) was successfully installed. A sho rt review of the major studies concerning intracranial dissection is presen ted. Firm guidelines for the treatment cannot be provided based on these da ta but the etiology of the dissection, whether it was posttraumatic or spon taneous, seems to be important. The diagnostic problem of pulsatile tinnitu s is briefly discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.