[Chorda tympani neuroma]

Features and management of a schwannoma of the chorda tympani and review of the literature

Intrinsic facial nerve tumors are rare lesions. Among the different histology types, schwannomas is the most frequently reported in literature. Other histological types of facial nerve tumors are hemangiomas, meningiomas, and neurofibromas. Chorda tympani schwannomas (CTSs) are extremely rare entities and are considered as an independent subgroup of facial nerve schwannomas because of their clinical characteristics. The aim of this report is to present the clinical and radiological features and the management of a CTS in a 27-year-old male presenting with conductive hearing loss.

An Incidental Chorda Tympani Schwannoma Identified During Middle Ear Surgery

Chorda tympani schwannomas are rare benign tumors of the middle ear cleft. This is a case of incidental chorda tympani schwannoma identified intraoperatively. The patient was a 50-year-old male with chronic active otitis media complicated by left-sided facial paralysis. During closed mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty approach, a well-demarcated swelling on the left chorda tympani nerve was identified and sectioned for pathologic evaluation. The histopathologic evaluation established the diagnosis of schwannoma. Although the tumor was unlikely the cause of the disease process in this patient, his facial paralysis and middle ear disease were resolved after surgery.