Intralabyrinthine schwannomas

Schwannomas are benign neurogenic tumors arising from Schwann cells that usually form the myelin sheath of peripheral nerves. The typical localization of vestibular schwannomas is the internal auditory canal or the cerebellopontine angle. Intralabyrinthine lesions are extremely rare. Here we describe a series of four consecutive cases of intralabyrinthine schwannomas that were treated in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum Bielefeld in Bielefeld, Germany. Therapeutic options are discussed and the literature is reviewed.