Extracranial head and neck schwannomas: a clinical analysis of 33 patients.

Abstract

To study the clinical features, diagnosis, and management of the extracranial head and neck schwannomas. Retrospective study. The clinical data of 33 patients with schwannoma of the head and neck from 1996 to 2006 were studied retrospectively. 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. Complete surgical excisions with appropriate approaches have proven to be efficient and successful in the treatment of head and neck schwannomas.