Schwannoma of the cervical vagus nerve arising at a high position: A case report

Abstract

We report here a case of schwannoma of the cervical vagus nerve that occurred high in the parapharyngeal space. The patient was a 71-year-old female who visited our hospital with the chief complaint of a sensation of foreign matter in the pharynx. Findings in the oral cavity included a painless mass of about 50 × 60 mm in size in the left palatopharyngeal arch. CT and MR showed a mass occupying the left carotid space. The mass had caused dissociation of the common carotid artery and internal jugular vein and extended to the base of the skull. We resected the tumor using the subcutaneous mandibulotomy approach. The histopathological diagnosis was schwannoma. After surgery, the patient showed dysphagia and hoarseness but she underwent rehabilitation and was able to ingest food orally. Two years postoperatively, no signs of recurrence have appeared.