인두후강에 위치한 신경초종 1예

Schwannoma is an uncommon benign neurogenic tumor arising from Schwann cells or supporting fibroblast or peripheral, cranial or autonomic nerve. The neoplasm arising from the retropharyngeal space is quite rare, because of few anatomical structures in the space. They are rarely found in the retropharyngeal space. We report on a 45-year-old man who with a schwannoma confined to the right retropharyngeal space, who presented no symptom. Magnetic resonance image (MRI) showed 4.2×2.4×2.1 cm sized well-defined mass in the retropharyngeal space with bright signal intensity on T2-weighted images and low signal intensity on T1-weighted images. Because the tumor existed in the retropharyngeal space and was the adequate size, the patient underwent trans-oral resection under the direct laryngoscope without skin incision. The tumor was removed through a transoral approach, resulting in a short postoperative recovery time without complications. Diagnosis, clinical behavior, and treatment of retropharyngeal schwannoma are review from perusal of the literature. (J Clinical Otolaryngol 2016;27:379-383)