[Unusual intra-extracranial extension of meningioma of the lateral skull base].

Extracranial meningiomas are rare tumors of the lateral skull base. A 37-year-old woman presented with tinnitus und progressive hearing loss of her right ear. A painful mass lesion was also palpable in her mandibular angle. CT and MRI scans revealed an intracranial mass with extension to the lateral skull base. These findings suggested the occurrence of a paraganglioma or meningioma. In a two-stage surgical procedure tumor was extirpated without functional impairment to the patient. Histology of the excised lesion demonstrated an endotheliomatous meningioma. Since an extracranial meningioma can present as a mass lesion of the lateral skull base, CT and MRI scans are essential in preoperative surgical planning.