title: A Rare Finding of Schwannoma of the Vidian Canal: A Case Report.
abstract: Background Schwannomas of the vidian canal are an extremely rare type of intracranial tumor that can have variable clinical presentations including headache, facial pain, facial muscle paralysis, decreased lacrimation, or nasal dryness. We present an atypical case of an incidentally identified asymptomatic vidian canal schwannoma. Case Description A 49-year-old woman with a history of multiple sclerosis presented for routine surveillance magnetic resonance imaging that detected an ovoid mass originating in the vidian canal. Given the unusual location of the lesion, an endoscopic endonasal biopsy was performed and confirmed the diagnosis of a vidian canal schwannoma, for which the patient chose to receive fractionated radiation therapy. Conclusion When a vidian canal tumor is identified, endoscopic endonasal biopsy can be used to confirm the diagnosis before pursuing either surgical or radiotherapy treatment. In particular, fractionated radiation therapy offers a radiobiologically safe means of delivering radiation when there is concern for late radiation-related side effects following treatment completion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States ; Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Alisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States ; Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Ahmad R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sedaghat
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States ; Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Giant C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: William T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Curry
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Helen A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, United States ; Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
authors.forename: Stacey T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Gray
keywords: fractionated radiation therapy; schwannoma; vidian canal