Vagus nerve schwannoma in the parapharyngeal space: surgical, histological and immunohistochemical aspects. A case report

Tumors of the parapharyngeal space are rare accounting approximately for 0.5% of all head and neck tumors. In the retrostyloid space, schwannomas are a more common finding, in contrast to other tumors. Usually, they present with a variety of slight symptoms until they grow in size and compress surrounding organs. Surgical treatment of parapharyngeal space tumors is difficult; due to the anatomical complex area, they develop in, and include several approaches, according to its size and relations. In this paper, we present a case of a 63-year-old female with a vagus nerve schwannoma in the parapharyngeal space. Beside the surgical difficulties, the resected tumor had a peculiar histopathological aspect (large areas of degeneration and atypia and little typical palisading) that compelled a thorough histological and immunohistochemical evaluation for positive and differential diagnosis.