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Skull Base 2011; 21(1): 031-036
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1262945
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© Thieme Medical Publishers

The Puzzling Olfactory Groove Schwannoma: A Systematic Review

Eberval Gadelha Figueiredo1 , Yougi Soga2 , Robson Luis Oliveira Amorim1 , Arthur Maynart Pereira Oliveira1 , Manoel Jacobsen Teixeira1
  • 1Division of Neurological Surgery, University of Sao Paulo, School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • 2Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Nigata University, Nigata, Japan
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
26 July 2010 (online)

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ABSTRACT

We systematically reviewed the literature concerning the anterior cranial fossa schwannomas to understand their pathogenesis, determine their origin, and standardize the terminology. We performed a MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index Expanded search of the literature; age, gender, clinical presentation, presence or absence of hyposmia, radiological features, and apparent origin were analyzed and tabulated. Cases in a context of neurofibromatosis and nasal schwannomas with intracranial extension were not included. Age varied between 14 and 63 years (mean = 30.9). There were 22 male and 11 female patients. The clinical presentation included seizures (n = 15), headache (n = 16), visual deficits (n = 7), cognitive disturbances (n = 3), and rhinorrhea (n = 1). Hyposmia was present in 14 cases, absent in 13 cases (39.3%), and unreported in five. Homogeneous and heterogeneous contrast enhancement was observed in 14 and 15 cases, respectively. The region of the olfactory groove was the probable site in 96.5%. Olfactory tract could be identified in 39.3%. The most probable origin is the meningeal branches of trigeminal nerve or anterior ethmoidal nerves. Thus, olfactory groove schwannoma would better describe its origin and pathogenesis and should be the term preferentially used to name it.

KEYWORDS

Anterior cranial fossa - olfactory groove - olfactory nerve - schwannomas - subfrontal tumors

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Eberval G FigueiredoM.D. Ph.D. 

Rua Oscar Freire, 1399

AP 171, CEP 05409-010, São Paulo-SP, Brazil

Email: ebgadelha@yahoo.com