Diagnosis and management of pediatric cervical vagal schwannoma

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2018 Nov:114:9-14. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2018.08.021. Epub 2018 Aug 23.

Abstract

Schwannomas arising from the vagus nerve are extremely rare in children, with only 15 cases reported in the world literature. We describe a pediatric case of cervical vagal nerve schwannoma successfully treated with cranial nerve-sparing surgery. Our patient presented extensive mass in the right side of the neck with ipsilateral Horner's syndrome. Her first sign, anisocoria, was diagnosed at the age of 1.5 y, making her the youngest vagal schwannoma case ever reported. Using an ultrasonic surgical aspirator and nerve monitoring, a multidisciplinary team successfully removed the mass with no recurrence after 2 years of follow-up.

Keywords: Child; Neoplasms; Nervus vagus; Neurilemmoma; Vagus nerve diseases.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / surgery
  • Female
  • Horner Syndrome / etiology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neck
  • Neurilemmoma / diagnosis*
  • Neurilemmoma / surgery
  • Vagus Nerve / pathology
  • Vagus Nerve / surgery
  • Vagus Nerve Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Vagus Nerve Diseases / surgery