악하 공간에 발생한 설신경초종 1예

A Case of Lingual Nerve Neurilemmoma in the Submandibular Space

Neurilemmomas are benign tumors originating from Schwann cells, and may occur in various nerves; however, they rarely originate from the lingual nerve. When a lingual nerve neurilemmoma develops in the submandibular space, it can be challenging to diagnose it preoperatively, and this tumor can be misdiagnosed as a usual submandibular gland tumor owing to the rarity and a lack of knowledge about lingual nerve neurilemmomas. Therefore, it is important to consider neurilemmoma in the differential diagnosis in cases where the characteristics of the tumor do not correspond with the typical findings of submandibular gland tumors, in order to avoid inadvertent sacrifice of the nerve because of incorrect diagnosis of a salivary gland tumor. Herein, we report a lingual nerve neurilemmoma in the submandibular space, along with a literature review, to highlight the clinical significance and improve understanding of this type of tumor.