A Case of Schwannoma of the Tongue Base / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Schwannomas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors. It is found rarely in the oral cavity but most commonly in the tongue followed by the palate, floor of mouth, buccal mucosa, and mandible. Because schwannoma of the base of tongue is exceedingly rare, it is often not immediately included in the differential diagnosis, causing delay in identification and treatment. We report here, with a review of the literature, a case of schwannoma of the base of tongue, which was misdiagnosed as a lingual thyroid. A 28-year-old man presented with a base of tongue mass, which was first detected a month ago. The preoperative diagnosis was lingual thyroid on the basis of the physical findings and computerized tomographic findings. The permanent pathologic report of the mass was schwannoma. Postoperatively, the patient showed no problem with tongue function and wound healing.