Gastric schwannoma: a case report and review of literature

Background: Schwannoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor, that arise from the Schwan cells of the nerve sheath. Schwannoma in the gastrointestinal tract is a very uncommon finding, with the stomach being the most common location. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult due to the wide variety of other mesenchymal tumors, definitive diagnosis is after histopathological examination and immunohistochemical staining of the specimen. Case presentation: We are presenting a rare case of stomach schwannoma, in a 50-year-old male who presented with urological complaints. He had a CT scan that incidentally showed a polypoidal gastric mass. Discussion: Schwannomas generally present asymptomatically; however, in some cases they can cause abdominal discomfort, pain or digestive symptoms. The definitive diagnosis of gastric schwannomas is determined by pathological examination of the surgically removed specimen. Conclusion: Schwannoma usually runs a benign course with excellent prognosis, yet there are very few reported cases of Malignant GI schwannoma. Benign or malignant, until now the treatment of choice is surgical excision with free margin.