[Neurilemmoma of the neck; a report of 35 cases]

We reported 35 cases of neurilemmoma of the neck. All cases had a tumor and 12 cases had neurogenic symptoms or signs such as tenderness, radiating pain, coughing at pressure of the tumor and Horner's syndrome. Tumors originated from the vagus nerve in 10, brachial plexus in 5 and cervical sympathetic chain in 3 cases. The nerve of the origin could not be identified in 17 cases. We classified tumors into 4 types based upon macroscopic nature. Type 1 is that the nerve of the origin could not be identified. Type 2 is that normal nerve passes on the surface of the tumor. Type 3 is that nerve fibers slightly dilated on the tumor surface. Type 4 is that tumor originated from major nerve and tumor surface is covered by the nerve fibers. Postoperative functional deficit of the nerve is rare in type 1 and occurred in the most of type 4 although intracapsular excision was performed. Although neurilemmoma of the neck is rare, postoperative functional deficit can often occur in some types. At the diagnosis of the tumors of the neck we must take the neurilemmoma into consideration. We recommend careful intracapsular excision at the surgery of the neurilemmoma originated from major nerves.