Benign schwannoma of the abdominal wall: A rare case report and a review of literature

Abstract

Tumors of the peripheral nerve sheath (neurilemmomas or schwannomas) are uncommon, affecting approximately 5% of adults.
The incidence of such a tumour over the abdominal wall is extremely rare. They are mostly benign and require complete surgical
excision to prevent a sequel. Here, we report a single case of a 22-year-old male presenting with a lump over the left flank and was
treated in our teaching medical institution in Eastern India. Various imaging modalities (ultrasonography and magnetic resonance
imaging) were used to diagnose this tumor, before it was surgically excised. Histopathology confirmed the swelling to be a benign
schwannoma of the abdominal wall. We have also reviewed the literature associated with this rare clinical entity. To the best of our
knowledge, only a handful of case reports on abdominal wall schwannomas have been reported so far.