J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2008 Nov;44(5):285-294. 10.3340/jkns.2008.44.5.285.

The Jugular Foramen Schwannomas: Review of the Large Surgical Series

• Bakar B

• KMID: 2018347
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3340/jkns.2008.44.5.285

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Jugular foramen schwannomas are uncommon pathological conditions. This article is constituted for screening these tumors in a wide perspective. MATERIALS: One-hundred-and-ninty-nine patients published in 19 articles between 1984 to 2007 years was collected from Medline/Index Medicus.
RESULTS
The series consist of 83 male and 98 female. The mean age of 199 operated patients was 40.4 years. The lesion located on the right side in 32 patients and on the left side in 60 patients. The most common presenting clinical symptoms were hearing loss, tinnitus, disphagia, ataxia, and hoarseness. Complete tumor removal was achieved in 159 patients. In fourteen patients tumor reappeared unexpectedly. The tumor was thought to originate from the glossopharyngeal nerve in forty seven cases; vagal nerve in twenty six cases; and cranial accessory nerve in eleven cases. The most common postoperative complications were lower cranial nerve palsy and facial nerve palsy. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage, meningitis, aspiration pneumonia and mastoiditis were seen as other complications.
CONCLUSION
This review shows that jugular foramen schwannomas still have prominently high morbidity and those complications caused by postoperative lower cranial nerve injury are life threat.

Keyword

Cranial nerve; Schwannoma; Skull base tumors; Surgery; Jugular foramen

MeSH Terms

Accessory Nerve
Ataxia
Cranial Nerve Diseases
Cranial Nerve Injuries
Cranial Nerves
Facial Nerve
Female
Glossopharyngeal Nerve
Hearing Loss
Hoarseness
Humans
Male
Mass Screening
Mastoid
Mastoiditis
Meningitis
Neurilemmoma
Paralysis
Pneumonia, Aspiration
Postoperative Complications
Tinnitus