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Schwannoma - Acoustic Neuroma of CN VIII - Case 2

A 64 year-old woman presented with tinnitus of the right ear.

Show the Acoustic Neuroma                                        Show the Gadolinium Enhancement

Acoustic Neuroma: (Left) T1-weighted axial MRI; (Middle) T1-weighted with gadolinium axial MRI; (Right) T1-weighted with gadolinium coronal MRI. Note the small nodular mass adjacent to the lower pons on the right. The mass enhances with gadolinium. On biopsy, this lesion was a schwannoma of the vestibulocochlear nerve.

Schwannomas are histologically benign tumors seen along the course of peripheral nerves, nerve roots, and cranial nerves [especially cranial nerves V (trigeminal) and VIII (vestibulocochlear)]. They may occur in isolation or in association with neurofibromatosis. They arise from the Schwann cells that create the myelin sheath around peripheral nerves. They result in symptoms when they disrupt the function of the nerve from which they arise, or cause mass effect on adjacent structures.


Revised 11/28/06.
Copyrighted 2006. David C Preston