Petrous Apex Cephalocele: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

Abstract

A petrous apex cephalocele is a rare lesion of the petrous apex. It can be discovered incidentally or can cause a suite of clinical problems, such as trigeminal neuralgia or cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Although this lesion can be misinterpreted as a pathologic lesion, the characteristic radiologic features can provide the diagnostic clue for distinguishing these two lesions and avoid unnecessary treatment. Here we present CT and MRI finding of petrous apex cephalocele in two patients with review of the literature.