title: Hard calcified intrasellar schwannoma mimicking pituitary adenoma: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intrasellar location of schwannoma is extremely rare, although intracranial schwannomas are common in the central nervous system. The aim of the present study is to describe a calcified intrasellar schwannoma case.
  
  
  METHODS
  We represent a 45-year-old woman who had suffered from headaches; right side facial pain and visual disturbance which had worsen during the last week prior to admission. Physical examinations were normal except for the bitemporal visual field hemianopia which match with perimetry examination. MRI demonstrated an unusual seemingly calcified mass lesion in the sellar region which was mimicking pituitary macro adenoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total resection of the tumor achieved through endoscopic transnasal transsphenoidal approach by extracapsular dissection and pathologic examination of the tumor revealed calcified schwannoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differential diagnoses of sellar and suprasellar lesions include pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, meningiomas, and many others. However, schwannoma is not usually included, because the occurrence of schwannoma in the sellar or suprasellar region is extremely rare. Only few cases of intrasellar schwannomas have been reported in the literature, all of which presented a suprasellar extension similar to that of our case. Fascinating surgical point is managing very firm tumor through transsphenoidal corridor which we handle it by very sharp, debulking and extracapsular removal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Loghman e Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Guive
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sharifi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Loghman e Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: mehrdaada@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mehrdad Hosseinzadeh
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bakhtevari
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Firouzgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alghasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Erfan General Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saberi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Loghman e Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dehghan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Loghman e Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farahnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bidari
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Loghman e Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Omidvar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rezaei
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Calcified; Pituitary; Schwannoma; Sellar