Trochlear nerve schwannoma with concomitant osimertinib-responsive stage IV lung adenocarcinoma: illustrative case

The prognosis for cancer patients has been improved because of the development of molecularly targeted drugs. Treatment of intracranial tumors must be personalized while prioritizing the treatment of comorbid cancers.

A 38-year-old man presented with bloody sputum, bilateral multiple nodules, and a mass in the lower lobe of his right lung. Bronchoscopy revealed stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. Screening head magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 38-mm-diameter mass in the left petroclival area. Because the patient was neurologically intact, the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma was prioritized, and the third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib was used. Although nodules in the lung began to shrink, the intracranial lesion expanded and caused hydrocephalus, necessitating a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The tumor also caused diplopia, dysarthria, and gait abnormalities. A left anterior transpetrosal approach was used to remove the tumor derived from the trochlear nerve. The pathological examination revealed schwannoma. Neurological symptoms improved following surgery. Osimertinib was continued during the perioperative period.

Osimertinib was effective for lung adenocarcinoma but not for trochlear nerve schwannoma, which required surgical intervention. It is necessary to tailor the treatment of benign brain tumors in patients with concurrent malignant cancers. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24144.