Endoscopic surgical management of vidian nerve schwannoma.

Abstract

Vidian nerve schwannomas are highly unusual, with only two reported cases in the world literature, and present with a constellation of symptoms that may be extremely vague. In the reported cases, open techniques have been utilized that required significant dismantling of the midfacial skeleton to access and manage these skull base lesions. Over the last 15 years, a paradigm shift in base of skull surgery has evolved with the advent of transnasal endoscopic techniques and instrumentation, improved surgical access and resectability of most skull-based pathologies, including vidian nerve lesions as reported here. We describe the varied clinical presentation and radiologic findings in two patients with such rare lesions. In addition, in one of these patients, we report on the first use of an expanded endonasal technique to access and remove vidian nerve schwannomas entirely endoscopically.