Schwannoma Presenting as an Asymptomatic Postauricular Mass

OBJECTIVE: To report a rare case of schwannoma presenting as a right postauricular mass without symptoms. PATIENTS: An adult female patient presented with a 5-year history of right postauricular mass, sensorineural hearing loss, and occasional headache. INTERVENTION: Excision of right postauricular/mastoid mass. RESULTS: A female patient with sensorineural hearing loss and hearing aids presented with a 5-year history of a nontender, right postauricular mass. Observation was pursued for a year. Sensorineural hearing loss was stable, but the patient experienced occasional headaches, a fullness sensation in the ears, increasing tenderness, and difficulty using the right hearing aid. Excision of the mass was performed, and a 6×7 mm cystic lesion was removed. S100 immunostaining of the excision confirmed the diagnosis of schwannoma. CONCLUSIONS: A patient was diagnosed with a schwannoma of the great auricular nerve postoperatively through immunostaining. Clinicians should consider schwannomas when evaluating postauricular masses to provide more accurate prognostic discussions.