Giant cranionasal schwannoma

J Clin Neurosci. 2010 Apr;17(4):520-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2009.06.039. Epub 2010 Feb 8.

Abstract

Giant schwannomas concomitantly involving the intracranial and nasal cavities are rare. We report a 22-year-old male patient with a giant schwannoma involving the frontal skull base and extending into the nasal cavity. The patient had a 2-year history of nasal obstruction that was originally misdiagnosed as nasal polyps. A CT scan and an MRI revealed a large cranionasal tumor. Surgery was performed using a coronal incision with a bilateral frontal skull base extradural approach. The tumor originated from the anterior skull base and the dura and nasal mucosa were intact. Histopathology was consistent with a schwannoma. Schwannoma should be listed as part of the differential diagnosis of a cranionasal tumor and the surgical approach should be carefully selected to achieve total resection.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Nasal Cavity / pathology*
  • Nasal Cavity / surgery
  • Nasal Polyps / pathology
  • Neurilemmoma / pathology*
  • Neurilemmoma / surgery
  • Nose Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Nose Neoplasms / surgery
  • Skull Base Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Skull Base Neoplasms / surgery
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Young Adult