Parapharyngeal space is a potential inverted pyramidal space in the neck containing vital neurovascular structures. It has a complex and crowded anatomy and can house a variety of tumours. Diagnosis of such tumours can sometimes be a clinical as well as a radiological challenge and surgical excision and histopathological examination provides the confirmative diagnosis, often leading to surprises. We present 3 such cases, namely, a leiomyoma of parapharyngeal space, a trigeminal nerve schwannoma presenting as a parapharyngeal mass, and a synovial sarcoma of the parapharyngeal space, which were a diagnostic and surgical challenge

KEYWORDS: Parapharyngeal, schwannoma, trigeminal, synovial, sarcoma, leiomyoma.

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Ayush Chawla

Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,

Apollo Hospitals, 21, Greams lane, Off.Greams road, Chennai -600006

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