Dumbbell-shaped jugular foramen schwannoma.

The authors present a case of dumbbell-shaped schwannoma arising from the vagus nerve. A 40-year-old woman was admitted with a 3-month history of hearing loss on the left ear without vertigo. Neuro-otological examinations revealed retrocochlear deafness with abnormal left vestibular function. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a dumbbell-shaped tumor of the jugular foramen. The tumor was removed through a cervical-transmastoid approach using Cavitoron ultrasonic surgical aspiration. Two months after the operation, the patient's hearing loss had improved, although she still had some aspiration of saliva and hoarseness.