A Case of Dumbbell-Shaped Facial Nerve Schwannoma of the Internal Auditory Canal / 대한이비인후과학회지

Schwannoma is a benign neoplasm of the nerve sheath and is the most common neoplasm of the internal auditory canal (IAC) and cerebellopontine angle. A dumbbell-shaped schwannoma is defined as a mass with two bulbous segments, one in the IAC fundus and the other in the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear or the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve connected to labyrinth segment. This kind of schwannoma should not be missed because it can affect the type of surgery and so the prognosis of the patient. We present one case of dumbbell-shaped facial nerve schwannoma which was completely excised without any complication.