Large occipital nerve (Arnold's nerve) schwannoma.

A 37 year-old man who had a ten years history of remitting and intermittently severe neck pain with a suboccipital mass is presented. On initial neurological examination there was no abnormal finding except little mass in the posterior neck. Following physical examination radiological evaluation was requested. In sagittal pre (A) and postcontrast (B) T1W images the lesion in between cervical 2 and 3 spinal process (arrow). The lesion was well defined, encapsulated, heterogeneously enhanced in 2.5 x 2 cm size. There was no bony destruction but remodeling. On axial image the configuration and the location in the semispinalis capitis muscle was easily identified easily (C). The patient underwent operation and final pathologic and radiologic diagnosis was schwannoma with Antoni A cells which was originated from the greater occipital nerve.