Abducens schwannoma inside the cavernous sinus proper: case report.
BACKGROUND
Only 2 cases of abducens nerve schwannoma solely inside the cavernous sinus have been reported. In both cases, abducens nerve palsy remained after operation. We report the first case of abducens nerve schwannoma inside the cavernous sinus proper with postoperative recovery from abducens nerve palsy.


METHODS
The patient was a 47-year-old female who developed left abducens and trigeminal nerve palsies. Neuroradiological examination revealed left intra-cavernous sinus tumor. Total removal of the tumor was performed. The location of the tumor was confirmed intraoperatively inside the cavernous sinus itself, with no relation to the trigeminal nerve. Further, the relation of the tumor to one particular nerve fiber within the abducens nerve bundle was confirmed inside the cavernous sinus. After surgery, the patient had transient abducens nerve palsy. It had totally disappeared by 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
When the tumor origin is just within the spacious cavernous sinus rather than more posterior in the narrow dural tunnel of Dorello's canal, successful preservation of the nerve function is possible postoperatively through a thorough knowledge of the membranous anatomy and careful preoperative study of the radiographic findings.
Nakagawa
Toru
T
Department of Neurosurgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Uchida
Koichi
K
Ozveren
Mehmet Faik
MF
Kawase
Takeshi
T
D000010:Abducens Nerve / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002426:Cavernous Sinus; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery