Hypoglossal schwannoma-successful reinnervation and functional recovery of the tongue following tumour removal and nerve grafting.
OBJECTIVE
Hypoglossal nerve schwannomas are rare tumours that usually cause ipsilateral hypoglossal palsy. This report describes such lesions in two patients and suggests nerve grafting as part of the treatment regimen.


METHODS
Two patients with intra- and extra-dural hypoglossal schwannomas respectively were treated by direct surgery via a postero-lateral approach to the posterior fossa, hypoglossal canal and carotid sheath. Following tumour removal, sural nerve grafting was used to reconstruct the nerves. Unexpectedly, muscle bulk and motor function returned within 6 months in both patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Nerve grafting was highly successful in achieving functional recovery following surgery for hypoglossal nerve schwannomas.
Mathiesen
Tiit
T
Department of Neurosurgery, Skull Base Center, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Svensson
Mikael
M
Lundgren
Jan
J
Kihlström
Lars
L
Parisotto
Riccardo
R
Bagger-Sjöbäck
Dan
D
D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007002:Hypoglossal Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D020437:Hypoglossal Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000637:transplantation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D019737:Transplants; D016896:Treatment Outcome