Schwannoma of the base of tongue - A rare presentation

Introduction: Schwannomas are benign tumours arising from the Schwann cells. Only 1% of extracranial schwannomas occur intraorally and its pharyngeal presentations are rare. Case report: We report a rare case of a 50. year old lady who presented with frequent hawking sensation since one year. Video laryngoscopy showed polypoidal lesion in the base of tongue. CT imaging was done to know the extent of lesion. Excision biopsy of the lesion was done. To our surprise, the histologic examination and the immunohistochemistry confirmation with S100 proved it to be schwannoma of the base of tongue. Discussion: About a quarter of all schwannomas occur in the head and neck region. Only 1% of these occur intraorally, generally in the tongue. Pharyngeal presentations of schwannoma are rare. Conclusion: Schwannomas arising in the base of tongue are rare and are not often included in the differential diagnosis. They are usually benign and have excellent prognosis as compared to the usual malignant lesions which occur in the tongue base.