Abstract
Nasopharyngeal tumors are rare, and schwannomas originating from this location are extremely uncommon. Schwannomas are tumors arising from the Schwann cells of peripheral nerve sheath which are neuroectodermal in origin. These are benign, slow growing, well-encapsulated tumors and are mostly seen in the head and neck region. We present a rare case of schwannoma with nasopharynx as its epicenter in an elderly female patient who presented with complaints of hematemesis, bilateral nasal obstruction and stertorous breathing. Diagnostic nasal endoscopy revealed a smooth mucosa covered globular mass occupying bilateral choana. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of Nose and paranasal sinuses revealed a homogenous mass occupying the entire nasopharynx extending into the nasal and oropharyngeal cavities. The patient underwent Trans-nasal Endoscopic excision under general anesthesia. Nasopharyngeal tumors have a wide range of presentation and a high index of clinical suspicion combined with imaging modalities is required for diagnosis and pre operative planning. Some tumors can cause life-threatening airway obstruction due to delayed presentation and should be managed efficiently and meticulously, with endoscopic excision being a viable approach for cases confined within the nasopharynx.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Mohanty S, Gopinath M, Subramanian M (2013) Benign tumours of nasopharynx-revisited. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 65(Suppl 1):22–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-011-0384-6
Younis RT, Gross CW, Lazar RH (1991) Schwannoma of the paranasal sinuses. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 117:677–680
Fu YS, Perzin KH (1974) Non-epithelial tumors of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and nasopharynx: a clinicopathologic study. I general features and vascular tumors. Cancer 33(5):1275–1288
Baradaranfar M-H, Dabirmoghaddam P (2006) Endoscopic endonasal surgery for resection of benign sinonasal tumors. Arch Iran Med 9(3):244–249
Sen S, Saha S, Basu N (2004) Clinical study of benign tumors of nose and paranasal sinuses. Indian J Otorhinolaryngol 56(4):265–268
Aksoy F, Yenigun A, Senturk E, Ozturan O (2016) Schwannoma located in Nasopharyngeal Region. Case Rep Otolaryngol. 2016:8260629. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/8260629
Batsakis JG, Sneige N (1989) Parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal space diseases. Ann Otol, Rhinol Laryngol 98:320–321. https://doi.org/10.1177/000348948909800416
Acknowledgements
Nil.
Funding
Nil.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interests
Nil to disclose.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Srinivasan, D.G., Saxena, S.K., Kuppusamy, D.A. et al. Schwannoma of Nasopharynx–A Rare Case with A Complex Presentation. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 76, 1321–1324 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-023-04303-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-023-04303-1