title: Extracranial schwannoma in the carotid space: A retrospective review of 91 cases.
abstract: Schwannomas of the vagus nerve and cervical sympathetic nerve are rare; hence, only limited information exists regarding their diagnosis and clinical management.
  
  
  
  We conducted a retrospective review of the clinical features, imaging studies, and treatment results of patients with schwannoma of the vagus nerve and schwannoma of the sympathetic nerve.
  
  
  
  Of 91 patients, 91% (n = 83) were preoperatively diagnosed with schwannoma tumors. Using the hyoid bone as an anatomic landmark, the location of the schwannoma of the vagus nerve in the carotid space was significantly different to the location of schwannoma of the sympathetic nerve (p = .003). Although 52 of the 76 patients followed up (68%) had postoperative nerve weaknesses, 13 patients (50%) and 14 patients (53.8%), respectively, fully recovered from schwannoma of the vagus nerve and schwannoma of the sympathetic nerve.
  
  
  
  In the carotid space, schwannomas of the vagus nerve are usually located below the hyoid bone, whereas schwannomas of the sympathetic nerve more commonly arise from the suprahyoid compartment. Accurate preoperative diagnosis and the intracapsular enucleation surgical approach decreased the incidence of postoperative morbidity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Head Neck 39: 42-47, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoke
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hongshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Duanshu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qinghai
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Tuanqi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yaling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhuoying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020421:Vagus Nerve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: carotid space; cervical sympathetic nerve; extracranial; schwannomas; vagus nerve