title: Malignant schwannoma of the infratemporal fossa: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant schwannomas or neurofibrosarcomas are rare nerve tumors of unknown etiology. These neoplasms are highly aggressive with a marked propensity for local recurrence and metastatic spread. Their management continues to be a challenge for pathologists and surgeons. Maxillofacial locations are very exceptional. We report the case of a patient with unusual malignant schwannoma of the infratemporal fossa discovered at a late evolving stage.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 56-year-old woman, of Moroccan nationality, presented to our hospital in 2013 with a large right-sided hemifacial swelling that had evolved over the previous 4 months, with a limitation of mouth opening, nasal obstruction and episodes of epistaxis. A CT scan and MRI showed a large and invasive tumor occupying her right infratemporal fossa and maxillary sinus, with sphenoidal, ethmoidonasal, nasopharyngeal and intraorbital extension. A nasal endoscopic biopsy was performed. Immunohistochemical examination concluded a diagnosis of malignant schwannoma, and a palliative radiotherapy was decided; however, our patient died 10 days later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malignant schwannoma of paranasal sinuses and the anterior skull base is a rare tumor that involves a high rate of local invasion. The prognosis is poorer compared to that occurring in the trunk and extremities.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Military Hospital Avicenna, Avenue Al Mouqaouama, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. twatisimo@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohamed Mliha
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Touati
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Military Hospital Avicenna, Avenue Al Mouqaouama, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. daryou1@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Darouassi
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Military Hospital Avicenna, Avenue Al Mouqaouama, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. chimeh1@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chihani
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Military Hospital Avicenna, Avenue Al Mouqaouama, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. AbdelfettahAlJALIL@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Abdelfettah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Jalil
authors.affiliation: Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Military Hospital Avicenne, Avenue Al Mouqaouama, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. tourabi33@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tourabi
authors.affiliation: Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Military Hospital Avicenne, Avenue Al Mouqaouama, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. lakmed@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lakouichmi
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Department, Military Hospital Avicenne, Avenue Al Mouqaouama, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. ismail_onco@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Essadi
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Military Hospital Avicenna, Avenue Al Mouqaouama, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. b.bouaity@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Brahim
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bouaity
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Military Hospital Avicenna, Avenue Al Mouqaouama, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. h.aamar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Haddou
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ammar
mesh_terms: D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed