Hemiatrophy of the Tongue Caused by an Extensive Vagus Nerve Schwannoma Masquerading as a Carotid Chemodectoma

Background Carotid chemodectomas or carotid body tumors are rare neoplasms, generally benign and frequently asymptomatic, which represent 0.6 % of all head and neck tumours. Schwannomas or neurilemmomas are benign, slow growing tumours that derive from the sheath of peripheral and cranial nerves. Of all neurilemmomas, 25–45 % originate from the head and neck region, with the vagus nerve being one the most encountered sites of occurrence.