title: Primary intrasellar schwannoma.
abstract: Intracranial schwannomas commonly arise from the eighth cranial nerve in the cerebellopontine angle. Schwannoma arising in the sella and extending into the suprasellar region is very rare and is easily mistaken for pituitary adenoma. To our knowledge, there have been only 12 previous reports. We present a patient with primary intrasellar schwannoma that clinically and radiologically resembled a pituitary adenoma (PA). Intra-operative findings differed from a PA, as the tumour had a firmer consistency. Gross total excision of the lesion was done via a transethmosphenoidal approach. Post-operatively the patient improved in visual acuity and visual fields. We have reviewed the literature and described the characteristics of such lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Dr. Achanta Lakshmipathi Neurosurgical Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Neurological Surgery, VHS Medical Centre, Taramani, TTTI Post, Chennai 600113, India. gcugati@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Goutham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cugati
authors.forename: Manish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Nigel Peter
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Symss
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pande
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Yasha
authors.forename: Madhabushi Chakravarthy
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vasudevan
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramamurthi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology