Abstract
The cerebellar flocculus is a well-known cause of a pseudomass in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA), particularly on nonenhanced CT (NECT) or occasionally on noncontrast MRI sequences. Since the flocculus juts out into the CPA and is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid, asymmetry (from side to side), volume averaging (with normal adjacent cerebellar hemispheres or the middle cerebellar peduncle), and beam-hardening artifact (from adjacent quite dense petrous apices of the temporal bones) may combine to exacerbate the appearance of an extra-axial mass such as a schwannoma, a meningioma, a glioma, or rarely an aneurysm. Schwannomas and meningiomas typically enhance the cerebellum, whereas nonenhancing gliomas typically expand it. Aneurysms ususally can be seen to connect with a parent artery (Figs. 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, and 3.7).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Suggested Reading
Daniels DL, Haughton VM, Williams AL, Berns TF. The flocculus in computed tomography. Am J Neuroradiol. 1981;2:227–9.
Salzman KL, Davidson HC, Harnsberger HR, Glastonbury CM, Wiggins RH, Ellul S, et al. Dumbbell schwannomas of the internal auditory canal. Am J Neuroradiol. 2001;22:1368–76.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
McKinney, A.M. (2017). Cerebellar Flocculus Pseudomass. In: Atlas of Normal Imaging Variations of the Brain, Skull, and Craniocervical Vasculature . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39790-0_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39790-0_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39789-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39790-0
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)