Pancreatic schwannoma: a case report and an updated 40-year review of the literature yielding 68 cases

Abstract

Background

Pancreatic schwannoma is a rare tumor. Preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic schwannoma is challenging due to its tendency to mimic other lesions of the pancreas. We describe a case of pancreatic schwannoma and present a review of the cases currently reported in the English literature to identify characteristics of pancreatic schwannoma on imaging.

Case presentation

A 53-year-old male presented with a history of intermittent periumbilical abdominal pain and lower back pain for 1 week. Based on ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) findings, we made a preoperative diagnosis of solid pseudopapillary tumor and performed a standard pancreaticoduodenectomy. Pathological examination showed that the tumor was composed of spindle cells with a palisading arrangement, and immunohistochemistry revealed strong positive staining for S-100 protein, which was consistent with a diagnosis of pancreatic schwannoma. At the 8-month follow-up visit, the patient was doing well without recurrent disease, and his abdominal pain had resolved.

Conclusions

Although pancreatic schwannoma is rare, it should be included in the list of differential diagnoses of pancreatic masses, both solid and cystic. A tumor size larger than 6.90 cm, vascular encasement, or visceral invasion should elicit suspicion of malignant transformation.

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