Cellular schwannoma: a clinicopathologic, DNA flow cytometric, and proliferation marker study of 70 patients

Presacral multiple cellular schwannomas

STUDY DESIGN

Case report. The authors documented a patient presenting with multiple cellular schwannomas along the sciatic nerve. The patient had no stigmas of neurofibromatosis. Thirteen tumors were resected via both anterior and posterior approaches.

OBJECTIVES

To point out that presacral cellular schwannoma can display multiple occurrences.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Cellular schwannoma, which is a well-recognized variant of benign schwannoma, is often misdiagnosed as sarcoma. The tumor is usually a solitary lesion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medical history, physical findings, imaging features, and histologic findings were reviewed in a case of multiple cellular schwannomas in the presacral regions.

RESULTS

A 39-year-old woman without any evidence of neurofibromatosis underwent removal of presacral multiple tumors along the sacral nerve root. Nineteen years after the surgery, the tumors recurred with multiple fashion. Thirteen tumors were resected via both anterior and posterior approaches. Immunohistochemical analysis of S-100 protein and Ki-67 were beneficial with respect to differentiation of cellular schwannoma from malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor.

CONCLUSIONS

The present case illustrated that multiple cellular schwannomas can develop in nonneurofibromatosis patients.

Cellular schwannoma: report of a case diagnosed intraoperatively with the aid of cytologic imprints

The diagnosis of cellular schwannoma in intraoperative consultation is difficult because of the hypercellularity and deep location, which may lead to errors. The recognition of cytologic features together with the histological appearance are of great importance to make the correct diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis of this variant of schwannoma is important because other spindle cell tumors display differences in treatment and clinical behavior. We report a demonstrative case of cellular schwannoma arising in retroperitoneum of a 52-yr-old woman in which the cytologic imprints were useful to make an accurate diagnosis intraoperatively. Briefly, the differential diagnosis is discussed.