Hemorrhagic necrotic schwannoma presenting as purulent meningitis

Acute brainstem compression by intratumoral hemorrhages in an intracranial hypoglossal schwannoma

A 77-year-old female in the hospital was found tachycardic and hypothermic by a nurse, and the patient's respiration subsequently ceased. Forensic autopsy revealed an intracranial cystic tumor that would have compressed the brainstem. On microscopic examination, the tumor was diagnosed as an Antoni A schwannoma growth, and recent multiple intratumoral hemorrhages in the intracranial schwannoma were observed, suggesting the sudden enlargement of the intracranial schwannoma due to intratumoral hemorrhaging. Accordingly, we diagnosed the cause of death as brainstem compression induced by the intratumoral hemorrhaging in the intracranial schwannoma. Meanwhile, a rhinopharyngeal tumor was also detected by the autopsy, which was compatible with an antemortem diagnosis of a dumbbell-shaped hypoglossal schwannoma.

Microsurgical management of hypoglossal schwannomas over 3 decades: a modified grading scale to guide surgical approach

BACKGROUND

Schwannomas originating from the hypoglossal nerve are extremely rare. Microsurgical resection with the goal for cure has traditionally been associated with a high risk of postoperative deficits.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize our clinical experience using tailored cranial base approaches for these formidable lesions.

METHODS

The clinical records of 13 patients were retrospectively reviewed. In addition, all reported patients in the literature were reviewed. The extreme lateral infrajugular transcondylar-transtubercular exposure approach was used in all of our patients. Based on our experience and literature analysis, we propose the following modified grading scale to facilitate surgical planning: type A, intradural tumors; type B, dumbbell-shaped tumors; type C, extracranial tumors; and type D, peripheral tumors.

RESULTS

All 13 patients underwent total, near-total, or subtotal tumor resection. Eight patients were men, 5 were women (mean age, 41.7 years). Sural nerve graft reconstruction for the hypoglossal nerve was performed in 4 patients. Three of the 4 patients in whom nerve reconstruction was performed regained satisfactory movement of their tongue. In the review of the literature, the mean patient age was 45.8 years. Patients presented with tongue atrophy (91.6%), headache (60.9%), and dysphagia (31.8%). The tumors were categorized as type A in 31.7% of these patients, type B in 38.6%, type C in 6.2%, and type D in 23.4%.

CONCLUSION

The extreme lateral infrajugular transcondylar-transtubercular exposure approach, which is a modification of the extreme lateral suboccipital approach, provides sufficient exposure for most intracranial dumbbell-shaped hypoglossal schwannomas. Hypoglossal nerve reconstruction using a sural nerve graft improves tongue atrophy and movement for patients with resected nerves.

Endoscopic endonasal clipping of a ruptured vertebral-posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm: technical case report

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Aneurysms arising from the vertebral and posterior inferior cerebellar artery complex account for only 0.5 to 3% of all aneurysms. Surgery for these aneurysms is technically challenging because of the deep location and intimate relation with the medulla and lower cranial nerves. The authors report the case of a patient with a right vertebral-posterior inferior cerebellar artery complex (VA-PICA) aneurysm that was successfully clipped via an extended endoscopic endonasal transclival approach.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

A 74-year-old woman with the sudden onset of severe headache, nausea, and vomiting was admitted to our hospital. A computed tomography (CT) of the brain revealed diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage associated with intraventricular hemorrhage and incipient hydrocephalus. Cerebral angiography revealed a 1.2-mm aneurysm arising at the origin of the right PICA. The aneurysm was considered unsuitable for selective coil embolization, so neck clipping was performed. With the use of an extended endoscopic endonasal transclival approach, the aneurysm was accurately reached endoscopically and successfully clipped from the parent artery. The patient was discharged neurologically intact.

CONCLUSION

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a successfully treated VA-PICA ruptured aneurysm using a pure endoscopic endonasal transclival approach. Endoscopic surgery may be added to the armamentarium of procedures for the treatment of posterior circulation aneurysms.

Hypoglossal nerve schwannoma with intratumoral hemorrhage

Intratumoral hemorrhage of hypoglossal schwannoma is very rare. A 37-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with severe headache and gait disturbance. Radiologic examination revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage and a well-circumscribed enhanced lesion compressing the medulla oblongata. Gross total removal of the intracranial tumor was performed. Histopathological examination revealed the characteristic features of a schwannoma. The tumor had several hemorrhagic areas and numerous hyalinized blood vessels. Although the mechanism of hemorrhage from schwannomas is unclear, it is hypothesized that tumor vessels showing focal sinusoidal dilatation and hyaline thickening of the walls lead to spontaneous thrombosis with consequent necrosis, and often hemorrhage.

Hypoglossal neurinoma presenting with intratumoral hemorrhage

Focal or microscopic hemorrhage in a neurinoma is common, but tumor origin from the hypoglossal nerve and extensive symptomatic intratumoral hemorrhage are both rare. A 59-year-old male presented with severe neck pain, nausea and vomiting of 1-day duration, accompanied by right hypoglossal nerve palsy. Neuroimaging disclosed a tumor located in the right cerebellomedullary fissure and containing a hematoma. The right hypoglossal canal was slightly dilated. The intracranial tumor was resected via a suboccipital approach. Histological examination demonstrated spindle-shaped tumor cells with nuclear palisading and also relative hypervascularity with hyaline degeneration of the vessels. Extensive hemorrhage was present, as was necrosis. Thickening and hyalinization of arterial walls, a common occurrence in neurinomas, may have contributed to symptomatic intratumoral hemorrhage.