Resection of Schwannomas Arising Pterygopalatine Fossa with Transzygomatic Transcranial Approach

Background: Schwannomas of pterygopalatine fossa are the benign tumors that mostly arise from the trigeminal nerve. The tumor might protrude into the middle cranial fossa and even the cavernous sinus. Several approaches such as transmandibular ramus, transmaxillar, and transnasal endoscopy can access this region but their limitations are also obvious. We present a series of 21 cases of schwannomas arising pterygopalatine fossa that were removed with the transzygomatic transcranial approach.