Schwannoma of the cavernous sinus. Case report and review of the literature.

A patient operated on for a schwannoma entirely developed into the cavernous sinus is described. Abducens nerve is supposed to be the origin of the tumor, although it could not be identified during the operation. Schwannomas of the cavernous sinus are exceedingly rare lesions. Only four reports exist in the literature. In three cases the tumor arose from the abducens nerve, in one case probably from the trochlear nerve. Direct approach to the cavernous sinus has become possible in recent years, but preoperatively impaired cranial nerve function shows a slim chance of postoperative recovery.