Intravestibular Lipoma with Intracochlear Extension: A Case Report on Surgical Management and Cochlear Implantation

Intracochlear and intravestibular lipomas are rare benign lesions that may clinically and radiologically mimic retrocochlear pathologies such as vestibular schwannomas. They typically present with progressive sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, or dizziness. Due to their rarity, optimal management strategies, particularly in pediatric patients, remain challenging and require individualized decision-making.

No actionable change for most clinicians; this single case highlights that intravestibular lipoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis when a lesion mimics vestibular schwannoma, but the rarity prevents generalisation.

Awareness of intravestibular lipoma as a rare inner-ear lesion distinct from vestibular schwannoma may prevent misdiagnosis and guide surgical planning toward hearing rehabilitation.

1. 01Intravestibular lipoma extending into the cochlea is extremely rare and can mimic vestibular schwannoma on imaging.
2. 02Surgical removal was feasible in this case without precluding subsequent cochlear implantation.
3. 03Cochlear implantation was successfully performed after tumor removal, restoring hearing function.
4. 04Accurate pre-operative diagnosis is critical to selecting the correct surgical approach.
5. 05Case reports at this level provide hypothesis-generating data only and cannot inform broad practice changes.

PMID

42345421

DOI

10.65717/iao.2026.252197.

Journal

International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology

Publication type

case_report

Evidence level

4

Sample size

1

Population

Single patient with intravestibular lipoma with intracochlear extension

Intervention

Surgical removal of intravestibular lipoma followed by cochlear implantation