Intracranial malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor: A case report and comprehensive literature review

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are rare malignant soft-tissue sarcomas arising from peripheral nerves. Little data exist regarding MPNST originating intracranially. Here, we present a 7^th/8^th nerve complex MPNST, discuss the treatment strategy and patient outcome, and provide a comprehensive review of existing literature.

Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, PubMed and crossed references were queried, yielding 37 publications from 1952 to the present. Fifty-three cases of primary intracranial and extra-axial MPNST were identified.

We additionally report a 40-year-old female presented with acute onset dizziness and subsequent hearing loss with associated right-sided facial numbness. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 0.5 cm × 1.7 cm enhancing lesion within the right internal auditory canal extending into the cerebellopontine angle. The patient was initially treated with retro sigmoid craniotomy for tumor resection followed by a trans labyrinth approach for residual tumor resection. She completed adjuvant fractionated radiation therapy and underwent facial nerve transfer to restore complete hemifacial paralysis. The most common cranial nerves involved were V and VIII (43.4% each), with 66% of patients male and 34% female. The average age was 43.4 ± 17.4 years. The mean survival time for reported non-survivors after tissue diagnosis was 15 ± 4 months. Two-year survival for patients receiving gross total resection was 33.3% versus 22.8% with subtotal resection.

MPNSTs comprise a group of highly aggressive neoplasms that rarely arise intracranially. Gross total surgical resection should be pursued when feasible.