Gamma Knife radiosurgery delivered to internal auditory canal glioblastoma under a presumed diagnosis of vestibular schwannoma: illustrative case

Primary glioblastoma (GBM) involving the internal auditory canal (IAC) is exceedingly rare. Only 6 prior cases have been reported, initially misdiagnosed as benign or nerve sheath pathology and treated surgically before receiving radiation therapy. The diagnostic utility of [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in these tumors is uncharacterized....

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This single case underscores the importance of maintaining a broad differential—including rare malignancies—when imaging findings in the internal auditory canal are atypical for vestibular schwannoma, but no change to standard diagnostic protocols can be justified from one case report alone.

Primary glioblastoma of the internal auditory canal is exceedingly rare and its ability to mimic vestibular schwannoma on imaging carries significant patient-safety implications for misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.

1. 01Primary glioblastoma of the internal auditory canal (IAC) is an extremely rare malignancy that can be misidentified as vestibular schwannoma.
2. 02The patient received Gamma Knife radiosurgery under a presumed benign diagnosis, delaying appropriate oncologic management.
3. 03Atypical imaging or clinical features of IAC masses should prompt consideration of malignant diagnoses.
4. 04Published as a single illustrative case—no generalizable conclusions can be drawn about incidence or optimal management.

PMID

42766871

DOI

10.3171/CASE26668.

Journal

Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons

Publication type

case_report

Evidence level

4

Sample size

1

Population

Single adult patient with primary glioblastoma of the internal auditory canal misdiagnosed as vestibular schwannoma

Intervention

Gamma Knife radiosurgery delivered under presumed vestibular schwannoma diagnosis