Solitary trigeminal schwannoma of paranasal region

SummaryThere are a few reports of cases of solitary schwannomas (neurinoma, neurilemoma) arising in one or more of the three major divisions of the trigeminal nerve. In particular, schwannomas are rare in the terminal branches of the infraorbital nerve. This paper reports a case of a 13-year-old child who had a small mass on the left paranasal area, which had been found incidentally after a trauma. He had no accompanying facial sensory changes, paralysis, and pain. A radiological examination and a simple excision and biopsy though a gingivobuccal incision were performed. The mass was well-demarcated and easily extirpated from the peripheral nasal branch of the infraorbital nerve. After surgery, the patient felt hypoesthesia on the ipsilateral alar area only. The patient reported mild headache and was recommended to undergo a brain MRI. However, there was a 6-month delay in obtaining the MRI. There was no recurrence or intracranial extension of the schwannoma during the 6 months follow-up period. We report the histology features, differential diagnosis and management options of this rare case in the early stages of a trigeminal schwannoma of the paranasal area with a review of the relevant literature.