Abstract
We report a rare case of schwannoma arising from the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve. An 18-year-old woman presented with an egg-sized nontender upper cervical swelling. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a well-defined tumor measuring 50mm in its major axis in the left carotid space. The tumor was moderately enhanced, and showed hypointensity and isointensity on T1- and T2-weighted MRI, respectively. Otorhinolaryngological findings were otherwise normal. A schwannoma was most likely suspected, and she underwent transcervical resection of the tumor. A cordlike strand connected to the cephalad end of the tumor was severed, while both the vagus and hypoglossal nerves were identified and preserved. The histopathological diagnose is schwannoma. After surgery, the patient manifested a curtain sign toward the unaffected side without showing vocal cord palsy or Homer's syndrome, indicating that the tumor had arisen from the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve. Clinical characteristics of schwannomas in the carotid space were reviewed.
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