title: Tongue base schwannoma: differential diagnosis and imaging features with a case presentation.
abstract: Schwannomas are slow growing, encapsulated neoplasms that arise from the nerve sheath. A vast majority of these benign neoplasms occur in the head and neck region, most commonly involving the 8th cranial nerve. Schwannomas arising from the base of tongue are very rare and, thus, can easily escape the list of differential diagnosis for a posterior tongue mass. A systematic approach is recommended for diagnosis of a posterior tongue mass, with neoplastic, infectious, and congenital categories. We report a case of a 24-year-old female, who presented with pressure sensation in the throat. On imaging, she was found to have a mass in the right posterior tongue with follow-up biopsy results yielding a schwannoma. Characteristic imaging features for various possible etiologies of a posterior tongue mass are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, SUNY Upstate Medical Center, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Zain
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Badar
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, SUNY Upstate Medical Center, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Zerwa
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Farooq
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, SUNY Upstate Medical Center, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zaccarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, SUNY Upstate Medical Center, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Sajeev R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ezhapilli
keywords: Posterior tongue mass; Schwannoma; Transoral excision