Benign retroperitoneal schwannoma – a rare case report

*Konrad Wroński¹, Janusz Kaczor¹, Zbigniew Masłowski¹, Leszek Frąckowiak², Michał Frąckowiak³, Przemysław Stefaniak¹

Summary
Retroperitoneal schwannoma is an extremely rare benign neoplasm, except for patients suffering from Von Recklinghausen’s disease. Most schwannomas (neurilemmomas, neurinomas) are tumors that develop slowly from the Schwann cells. Schwannomas are observed in adult population aged 20-50. Women are affected nearly two times as often as men. Retroperitoneal schwannomas are benign, encapsulated, slow-growing tumors. The majority of retroperitoneal schwannomas are asymptomatic and are often diagnosed incidentally during abdomen ultrasound or computer tomography. Malignant schwannomas are large in size and aggressive. The most common symptoms include abdominal pain and abdominal distention. Because of the rarity of retroperitoneal schwannomas, it is necessary for the radiologist to establish the diagnosis before the operation as well as to have a qualified pathologist available to examine the needle biopsy specimen. Radical surgical resection of the retroperitoneal schwannoma is the best treatment option. Aggressive surgery is not recommended in case of benign retroperitoneal schwannomas.
The authors present a case of a 58-year-old white man who was admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of retroperitoneal schwannoma. The patient had been suffering from the pain in the right lumbar region for 5 months. He underwent surgical excision of the tumor and was discharged five days after surgery. After the operation, the symptoms were alleviated. The author also presents literature review on retroperitoneal schwannomas.

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