Jugular foramen schwannoma mimicking paraganglioma: case report and review of imaging findings

We present the case of a 30-year-old woman who presented with an 11-year history of chronic occipital headaches and a 12-month history of worsening difficulty speaking and/or swallowing, facial spasms, hearing loss, and dizziness. A large lytic mass was found centered in the left jugular foramen (JF) on computed tomography examination; follow-up magnetic resonance imaging showed an avidly enhancing mass with prominent central flow voids. Histopathologic examination after surgical resection revealed the mass to be a schwannoma. Prominent central vascularity is an unusual presentation for JF schwannomas. Our report provides a review of magnetic resonance imaging features of intrinsic JF lesions relevant to our case.