Intrasellar schwannomas: report of two cases.
OBJECTIVE
The complex regional anatomic features surrounding the sella turcica make the differential diagnosis of intrasellar and parasellar lesions complicated. Sellar and parasellar schwannomas are rare. With the exclusion of parasellar schwannomas arising from cranial nerves within the cavernous sinus and extending into the sella, there have been only two reported cases of true intrasellar schwannomas.


METHODS
We describe the clinical, radiological, and pathological features of two cases in which the histopathological diagnosis of schwannoma was confirmed with immunohistochemical analyses and/or electron microscopy.


METHODS
The two cases were grossly resected via a transsphenoidal approach. Follow-up monitoring revealed no evidence of recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
Schwannomas may atypically occur in the sellar region, in which they demonstrate the typical light microscopic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features observed in the peripheral nervous system. New and existing hypotheses regarding the histopathogenesis of intrasellar and parasellar schwannomas are presented.
Maartens
Nicholas F
NF
Department of Neurosurgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Ellegala
Dilantha B
DB
Vance
Mary Lee
ML
Lopes
M Beatriz S
MB
Laws
Edward R
ER
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed