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Dumbbell trigeminal schwannoma in a child: complete removal by a one-stage pterional surgical approach

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Abstract

Objective

The objective was to describe a rare case of a trigeminal schwannoma in a child and the surgical procedure performed for therapy.

Patient and methods

A 6-year-old girl presented with tiredness, dysarthric speech and cerebellar symptoms. Imaging studies revealed a unilateral dumbbell-shaped tumour, extending into both the middle and posterior fossa, centred over Meckel’s cave. One-stage surgery was performed by pterional craniotomy. The tumour was first debulked in the middle fossa, then peeled from the wall of the cavernous sinus, followed by extirpation of the tumour from the posterior fossa. The tumour extended to the caudal cranial nerves and was completely removed. Trigeminal fascicles were distributed throughout the tumour. Histopathological examination revealed a schwannoma.

Conclusion

Trigeminal schwannoma is a tumour that occurs rarely in childhood. Although several, often multistaged surgical strategies have been reported in the literature, this tumour was eradicated by a one-stage pterional approach.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, University Medical Center St Radboud, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    C. C. P. Verstappen

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center St Radboud, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    T. Beems & E. J. van Lindert

  3. Department of Child Neurology, University Medical Center St Radboud, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    C. E. Erasmus

Authors
  1. C. C. P. Verstappen
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  2. T. Beems
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  3. C. E. Erasmus
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  4. E. J. van Lindert
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. J. van Lindert.

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Verstappen, C.C.P., Beems, T., Erasmus, C.E. et al. Dumbbell trigeminal schwannoma in a child: complete removal by a one-stage pterional surgical approach. Childs Nerv Syst 21, 1008–1011 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-004-1091-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-004-1091-3

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