Jacobson's nerve schwannoma: a rare middle ear mass

The case of a 55-year-old woman with a middle ear mass is presented. The preoperative diagnostic workup, including an audiogram and imaging studies, and the histopathologic findings of the tumor are reviewed. The tumor, a schwannoma, arose from Jacobson's nerve in the middle ear. The surgical anatomy of Jacobson's nerve and the surgical approach to this tumor and to other tumors of the middle ear space are discussed. Tumors of the tympanic cavity are rare, with the exception of cholesteatoma; otherwise, the most common among them are paraganglioma and facial nerve neuroma. This report represents the first documented case of a schannoma arising from Jacobson's nerve in the tympanic cavity.