Nasoethmoid schwannoma with intracranial extension. Case report and review of literature

A 27-year-old woman presented with a six-month history of intermittent headache and a 2-week history of blurring of vision. Subsequently a 4 cm large enhancing lesion in the left frontal parafalcine region with a small extension into the nasoethmoid sinus was found. This was thought to be either an anterior cranial fossa meningioma or an esthesioblastoma. However after uneventful gross total excision of this lesion via a frontal craniotomy, the histology came back as a schwannoma. Only seven cases of nasoethmoid schwannoma with intracranial extension have been reported before and this case is unique in that almost all of the tumour was intracranial. We review the literature and discuss the origin of these tumours.