Primary oligodendroglioma of the trigeminal nerve – A very rare case report

Abstract

There is a total of 19 reports for gliomas in the root entry zones of cranial nerves excluding the olfactory and optic nerves. So far, only 1 case of an oligodendroglioma has been reported. We report a case of a 65-year-old lady who presented with headache and unilateral ophthalmoplegia. Her imaging was suggestive of a dumbbell shaped tumor extending from the orbital apex through the Dorello’s canal into the posterior fossa and brainstem. A diagnosis of Trigeminal Schwannoma was made, and the tumor was surgically decompressed. Histopathology showed that an oligodendroglioma was present. Adjuvant therapy was suggested, but the patient was lost to follow up. Along with the case report, we present a review of the scanty literature available for these rare diseases.

Keywords

• Trigeminal nerve
• Oligodendroglioma
• Cranial nerve