Schwannoma Base of Tongue: Report of a Rare Case and Review of Literature
ABSTRACT Schwannomas or neurilemmomas are benign, slow growing, usually solitary and encapsulated tumor, originating from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath. Extracranially, 25% of all schwannomas are located in the head and neck region. The intraoral lesions show a predilection for the tongue, followed by the palate, buccal mucosa, lips and gingiva respectively. Among these, base of tongue schwannoma are extremely rare. Schwannomas involving the tongue base remain asymptomatic unless they attain appreciable size. Diagnostic investigations include ultrasound scanning, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and fine-needle aspiration cytology. MRI is superior to other imaging modalities for the examination of the base of the tongue. The definitive diagnosis is based on histopathology. Surgical excision or enucleation with preserve nerve function is the treatment of choice for this rare tumor. The most common approach for complete excision is transoral route for base of tongue schwannoma. Authors report a case of base of tongue schwannoma which was treated with surgery by transoral route. How to cite this article Singh HP, Kumar S, Verma N, Vashistha M, Chaddha A, Agarwal SP, Babu S. Schwannoma Base of Tongue: Report of a Rare Case and Review of Literature. Int J Head Neck Surg 2013;4(3):133-135.