A Rare Case of Granular Cell Tumor of the Anus

Abstract

Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are uncommon soft tissue neoplasms derived from Schwann cells that can arise from various regions of the body. The majority originate from the head and neck. They are rarely encountered in the gastrointestinal tract and even more rarely in the anorectal region. There is a paucity of literature with only a few case reports of GCT of the anus. We describe a 36‐year‐old African American male with a long‐standing history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, multiple perianal abscess and associated fistulas, and an ulcerated perianal lesion that revealed an anal GCT who was treated with excision and surveillance. Given that GCTs in the perianal region are extremely rare, a high index of suspicion of GCT of the anus is critical when patients present with anal masses, ulcers, or abscesses given the extremely poor prognosis of malignant GCTs.