Cystic schwannoma of the maxillary sinus

Comprehensive Analyses of Intraoral Benign and Malignant Nerve Sheath Tumors: The Rare Disease Entities Revisited

INTRODUCTION

Intraoral benign and malignant nerve sheath tumors (BNST and MNST) are rare tumors with non-specific clinical presentations and represent diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Current knowledge regarding their demographic, clinicopathological features and treatments remains fragmented.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The original data about patients diagnosed as intraoral BNST and MNST were retrieved from our disease registry (2005-2017). Comprehensive reviews of English and Chinese literature were performed to collect and analyze the epidemiological, clinicopathological data and treatment outcomes about those published cases.

RESULTS

Thirty-four intraoral BNSTs were found at our institution in the past 13 years. Literature reviews identified 354 intraoral BNSTs in 223 articles and 60 intraoral MNSTs in 50 articles. Most intraoral BNSTs and MNSTs were presented in the second to fifth decade of life. Males outnumbered females in MNSTs, while BNSTs displayed a slight female preponderance. The common sites for intraoral BNSTs were parapharyngeal space followed by tongue, whereas mandible was the most common site for MNSTs. Most intraoral BNSTs were presented as slow-growing, painless mass or swelling, while MNSTs usually appeared as painful and invasive mass with discomfort. Surgical excision was preferred for intraoral BNSTs with excellent prognosis. Complete resection was indicated for intraoral MNST with dismal prognosis as evidenced by much recurrence, metastasis, and death.

CONCLUSION

Intraoral BNST and MNST are rare diseases which should not be ignored when intraoral painless or painful mass/swelling is found. Surgical excision is indicated for intraoral BNST with favorable outcomes. However, further investigations are warranted to optimize the treatment for intraoral MNST to improve its prognosis.

A case of infected schwannoma mimicking malignant tumor

BACKGROUND

Infected schwannoma has been reported, this being one of the four cases published in the literature. Infected schwannoma has proven to be a tough diagnostic challenge to the treating tumor surgeon, mimicking infectious entities and most essentially, a malignant tumor.

CASE PRESENTATION

The authors report the case of a 64-year-old male with a soft tissue mass in his right gluteal area that presented initially with right leg pain, then later with signs of inflammation on the tumor area. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and thallium-201 scintigraphy studies confirm the presence of soft tissue mass which had continuity with sciatic nerve, with subsequent serial MRI findings suggesting tumor enlargement with cystic degeneration. Increased level of C-reactive protein (CRP) was observed before surgery. During an open biopsy upon tissue sampling, exudates with necrotic tissue were seen. Increased level of CRP and necrotic change suggested the possibility of malignant tumor. Histopathological diagnosis was schwannoma, and group B Streptococcus was detected by culture. After the confirmation of infected schwannoma, enucleation of the tumor was performed.

CONCLUSIONS

The report concludes that establishment of a benign pathology is essential when presented with similar clinical findings prior to definitive enucleation of an infected schwannoma.

Infra-orbital nerve schwannoma: Report and review

Extra-cranial schwannomas although common in head and neck region are very rarely seen originating from the infra-orbital nerve. We report a case of schwannoma arising from infra-orbital nerve in a 40-year-old male patient. The case presented as an isolated, asymptomatic, slow growing sub-cutaneous nodular swelling over left side of mid-face. On ultrasonography, a localized lesion within the sub-cutaneous tissue of cheek was observed, without involvement of orbital, maxillary sinus or underlying bone. Aspiration biopsy of the lesion showed spindle shaped cells predominantly arranged in Antoni A pattern around verocay bodies, with less organized Antoni B tissue in few places. Diagnosis of schwannoma, probably arising from terminal branch of infra-orbital nerve was established. The tumor was approached through skin incision. At the time of exploration, the lesion was found to emanate from the nerve trunk of peripheral branch of infra-orbital nerve, which was dissected and preserved. We correlate our experience with previously reported cases of infra-orbital nerve schwannoma.

Schwannoma of the Sinonasal Tract and the Pterygopalatine Fossa with or without Intracranial Extension

AIMS

Compared with those in other head and neck regions, schwannomas in the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses are rare. The aim of this study was to present the experience of the authors in 11 schwannoma cases of the sinonasal tract and pterygopalatine fossa over a decade.

METHODS

A retrospective study from 2003 to 2014.

RESULTS

Three female and 8 male patients from 22 to 61 years of age (mean age 42 years) were admitted. The most common complaints were unilateral nasal congestion. A total of 10 of the patients received surgery, including 6 functional endoscopic sinus surgeries (FESS). The postoperative course was generally uneventful. Among the patients, 10 remained regionally asymptomatic, and there has been no clinical or radiological evidence of recurrence or residual tumor.

CONCLUSION

Surgical treatment is effective for schwannomas of the sinonasal tract and the pterygopalatine fossa with a low recurrence rate. Conducting CT and MRI (particularly fluid-attenuated inversion recovery) before surgery is mandatory. FESS could become the primary treatment of choice.

Schwannomas of the sinonasal tract and anterior skull base: a systematic review of 94 cases

BACKGROUND

Schwannomas of the anterior skull base (ASB) and sinonasal tract are extremely rare. These lesions mimic other pathologies such as olfactory groove meningiomas, hemangiopericytomas, and esthesioneuroblastomas. Because of their low incidence, ASB and sinonasal tract schwannomas have not been well characterized. A systematic review of ASB and sinonasal tract schwannomas was conducted to further elucidate the presentation and surgical management of these lesions.

METHODS

A MEDLINE/PubMed search was performed, identifying 71 articles representing 94 cases of ASB and sinonasal schwannomas. Each case was analyzed for demographics, clinical presentation, anatomic location, radiographic features, and surgical treatment.

RESULTS

In 94 patients with ASB and sinonasal schwannomas, 44 (46.8%) were exclusively sinonasal, 30 cases (31.9%) were exclusively intracranial, 12 (12.8%) were primarily intracranial with extension into the paranasal sinuses, and 8 (8.5%) were primarily sinonasal with intracranial extension. Headaches and nasal obstruction were the most common presenting symptoms occurring in 30.9 and 29.8% of cases, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging typically showed a hyperintense mass on T2-weighted imaging (70%) and hypointense (41%) on T1-weighted imaging. Most patients underwent surgical gross total resection via craniotomy, endoscopic endonasal approach, rhinotomy, or other sinonasal approaches. Recurrence occurred in three cases ranging from 4 months to 13 years. Postoperative complications included cerebral spinal fluid leakage, bacterial meningitis, epidural hematoma, and pneumocranium.

CONCLUSION

ASB and sinonasal schwannomas are rare lesions and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ASB masses involving the cribriform plate with sinonasal extension. Gross total resection of these lesions should be considered the goal of operative management.

Atypical sinonasal Schwannomas: a difficult diagnostic challenge

OBJECTIVE

Schwannomas are benign tumours arising from Schwann cells of the peripheral nerve sheath. They are relatively frequent in the head and neck region (25-45%) but rarely involve in the sinonasal tract (4%). The authors outline the diagnostic difficulties and the problems in choosing the best surgical approach in two atypical cases of sinonasal Schwannomas.

METHODS

In the first case reported clinical data, sex and age of the patient, nasal endoscopy and angio-MRI led us to suspect an angiofibroma; therefore, we approached the case without a biopsy performing a preoperative selective embolization followed by an endoscopic resection. In the second case, due to initial visual symptoms and to the ethmoid-orbital compartment involvement, we performed a sinonasal endoscopy and collected a biopsy which resulted to be fundamental in the diagnostic assessment. Tumour excision was then obtained throughout an intracranial/endonasal approach.

RESULTS

The two presented cases revealed the presence of cystic Schwannomas. In the first case, diagnosis was made only post-operatively after histological examination. Patients underwent complete surgical excision by means of an endoscopic sinonasal approach, in the second case associated to a left frontal craniotomy. The patients showed no signs of recurrence at a 9 months follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Nasal endoscopy was extremely important in making the diagnosis, allowing an accurate assessment of the tumour extension and a biopsy. The diagnosis of sinonasal Schwannomas remains challenging; sometimes, clinical behaviour and modern imaging may be misleading. The diagnostic and therapeutic importance of sinonasal endoscopy is emphasised in the two presented cases.

Case of cystic schwannoma

Schwannoma is a well-defined tumor arising from the nerve sheath. It may present as a solitary mass in any part of the body, but is more commonly seen in the head, neck and extremities. We describe a 32-year-old female patient with a small dermal nodule on the forehead, which was 2 cm in diameter, round and of a cystic nature. Microscopic examination revealed that it consisted of compact spindle cells arranged partly in short bundles or a fascicular pattern with outstanding cystic degeneration manifested as a large, unilocular cavity in the center of the tumor tissue. The tumor cells were positive for S-100 protein and negative for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), while the tumor capsule was positive for EMA. There was no S-100-positive membrane-like structure lining the cyst wall.

Schwannoma of the inferior turbinate: case report and review of literature

Schwannomas of the sinonasal tract are rare entities that are amenable to local resection. We present a 69 year old woman with a schwannoma of the inferior turbinate that was successfully resected. Schwannomas arising from the inferior turbinate are very infrequent.

Giant cystic intradural schwannoma in the lumbosacral region: a case report

We report a case of a giant cystic intradural schwannoma of the lumbosacral region in a 30- year-old man who presented with a 2-year history of non-specific lower back pain. Lateral radiographs demonstrated scalloping of the posterior wall of L5 and the upper sacrum. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 12 x 2.3-cm intradural multi-septated cystic lesion extending from L3 to S2 with predominant hypointense signal on T1-weighted images and a mixed signal on T2-weighted images. There was heterogeneous rim enhancement of the retrosacral portion of lesions following the administration of gadolinium contrast. The tumour was completely excised. Histological investigation confirmed the diagnosis of cystic schwannoma with alternating hypercellular (Antoni A) and hypocellular (Antoni B) areas in a fibrillar background. The patient had complete relief of symptoms and remained asymptomatic after 2 years of follow-up.

Schwannoma of the Nasal Cavity

Schwannomas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors that occur throughout the body. They may present as either solitary or multiple masses. They rarely occur in the nasal cavity. The diagnosis is often made only after histologic examination. Because these lesions are radioresistant, the preferred treatment is complete surgical excision. We present a new case of a schwannoma of the nasal cavity.

Extracranial Head and Neck Schwannomas: A Clinical Analysis of 33 Patients

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical features, diagnosis, and management of the extracranial head and neck schwannomas.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective study.

METHODS

The clinical data of 33 patients with schwannoma of the head and neck from 1996 to 2006 were studied retrospectively.

RESULTS

Extracranial head and neck schwannomas usually presented as solitary and well-demarcated lesions with insidious course. Although benign, the lesion can cause secondary symptoms, such as nasal obstruction, dysphasia, and hoarseness, relevant to location of the lesion. Fine needle aspiration cytology, computed tomography scans, and magnetic resonance imaging may provide limited implications in the diagnosis of schwannomas, whereas postoperative pathologic examination establishes the final diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Complete surgical excisions with appropriate approaches have proven to be efficient and successful in the treatment of head and neck schwannomas.

Imaging features and treatment of an intradural lumbar cystic schwannoma

Spinal schwannomas are frequently observed among patients treated in a reference neurosurgery center. Cystic spinal schwannomas, however, are very scantly found. Due to its indolent behavior and benign course, the diagnosis of schwannomas may pose a challenge to the care giver, and the imaging findings can be misleading. In this article, we illustrate an example of a pauci-symptomatic 55 year-old male patient whose complaint was solely a non specific lumbar pain. Investigation revealed a large cystic lesion comprising the lower lumbar intradural space. He was then treated with microneurosurgical technique involving complete removal of the tumor and reconstruction of the duramater. Histological and immunohystochemical diagnosis were consistent with cystic schwannoma. The patient presented with complete recovery of his symptom. In this article we aim to emphasize the clinical presentation and treatment of lumbar spine schwannomas, and to illustrate the imaging findings within this uncommon case.

[A case of nasal septum schwannoma: endoscopic resection]

OBJECTIVES

To define clinical and radiological characteristics of nasal septal schwannoma, and to propose endoscopic surgery.

PATIENT AND METHODS

We report a case of an isolated schwannoma of the anterior part of the nasal septum, without involvement of any local structure. The only preoperative symptom was nasal obstruction. Imaging study included a CT scan and an MRI study.

RESULTS

Schwannoma is a sheath tumor originating from Schwann cells of peripheral nerves. It rarely occurs in nasal and paranasal sinuses and its development on the nasal septum is extremely rare. Complete removal of the tumor was performed by endoscopic sinus surgery technique. Limits of the excision were free of tumor and the histological type was Antoni type A Schwannoma. After a year of follow up, the patient is free of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

The Schwannoma of the nasal septum is a rare tumour whose clinical and radiological diagnosis by CT scan and IRM is relatively easy. Its treatment is surgical and the endoscopic surgery can be proposed in the forms slightly extensive.