Extracranial Head and Neck Schwannomas: An Institutional Experience

Abstract

Extracranial schwannomas of head and neck domain are rare neoplasms. Most of the times, these tumors occur as asymptomatic neck swellings which masquerade to cervical lymphadenopathy, carotid body tumors, bronchial cyst, vallecular cyst. We present ten cases of head and neck schwannomas who have been treated and followed up between June 2006 to march 2020 in the department of otorhinolaryngology of Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hassan, Karnataka State, India. These patients have been retrospectively reviewed. The main aim of the study is to know the NOO(nerve of origin) preoperatively and on table. Also to know the unusual sites of schwannoma in head and neck domain.The age group is between 10yrs to 50ys and female predominance of 50% in our study.Seven patients presented with neck swelling and three patients with pressure symptoms. Pre-operative diagnosis is mainly on clinical suspicious. Radiological imaging like CT scan/MRI may be helpful in diagnosis. FNAC is adjunctive tool for diagnosis. Among 10 patients nerve of origin could make out in 7 patients. Three from sympathetic, three from vagus and one from Internal Laryngeal nerve. In three patients nerve of origin could not make out. Intracapsular dissection of the tumor with preservation of nerve of origin is most recent common modality of treatment. Neurological deficit after tumor excision is common in large tumor excision. Early recognition and treatment is best for preservation of the nerve of origin.