Facial Nerve Schwannoma

Epidemiology

Schwannomas can arise from motor, sensory, sympathetic, and cranial nerves (with the exception of the olfactory and optic nerves, which are not covered by Schwann cells). Approximately 25 to 40% of all schwannomas are found in the head and neck. In the head and neck more than half the lesions are located in the lateral cervical region. Schwannomas are typically seen during the third and fourth decades of life and are more common in females (female to male ratio of 2:1).

Clinical Findings

Most schwannomas present as a painless mass. A facial nerve schwannoma, like most other schwannomas, is rarely diagnosed clinically. Facial nerve palsy is uncommon in tumors arising from the parotid gland. This is because schwannomas grow around the nerve axons.