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.

Study of the pterigidal canal (vidian canal) through images of cone beam computer tomography.

“…The relationship between the vidian canals and the foramen rotundum was studied before [5] and the findings of this study corroborate ours with respect to the mean of the distances found here. These authors, however, did not consider in their sample those cases in which the channels were double and thus a discrepancy of results could occur if double measurements were performed.…”

“…One of its advantages is also cited as a lower radiation dose when compared to fan beam tomography. Its use in dentistry, as well as in specialties such as otolaryngology, has grown significantly in recent decades [5,6].…”

Endoscopic endonasal access for the treatment of Vidian nerve schwannoma: a case report

“…Vidian nerve schwannomas are extremely rare lesions and only seven cases have been reported in the literature. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 …”