[Huge jugular foramen neurinoma extending to the pharyngeal region: a case report]

The authors report a rare case of a huge jugular foramen neurinoma extending to pharyngeal region in a 64 year-old woman who visited an otolaryngologist with complaints of dysphagia, hoarseness and headache in 1984. At that time a submucosal lump was noted in her left pharyngeal region. Biopsy of the tumor proved it to be neurinoma. A CT scan disclosed a dumbell shaped jugular foramen neurinoma and noncommunicating hydrocephalus. Because her symptoms slowly progressed and cerebellar signs as well as signs of increased intracranial pressure was noted, she was referred to our hospital in 1986. She had shown typical sings of left Vernet syndrome, VIIth, VIIIth cranial nerve impairment as well as cerebellar, long tract and increased ICP signs. A subtotal removal was performed from the extracranial and posterior fossa in one stage. The tumor seemed to originate from the Xth cranial nerve. The histological diagnosis of neurinoma was confirmed. Postoperatively, although her dysphagia increased for several weeks, a tracheostomy was not necessary. She was discharged 2 months later and returned to her usual occupation as a house wife. Slight dysphagia and hoarseness were her only chronic symptoms. So far, 88 cases of jugular foramen neurinoma have been reported, 15 of them including our case from Japan. Our case is probably the largest of these reported tumors. Tumors in jugular foramen often masquerade as an acoustic neurinoma or other tumor. However, recently this can usually be diagnosed preoperatively with a careful neurological examination and by means of neuroradiological investigations such as jugular venography, CT scan and MRI.