Pleural Schwannoma Presenting As Musculoskeletal Type Pain: A Case Report

Abstract

Schwannomas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors typically found in the neck, flexor surfaces of the extremities, mediastinum, posterior spinal roots, cerebellopontine angle, and retroperitoneum. Pleural schwannomas are a type of neoplasm that arises from autonomic nerve fiber sheaths in the pleura and rarely originate in the thoracic cavity. These schwannomas tend to be asymptomatic, benign, and slow-growing neoplasms. Although pleural schwannomas commonly occur in males, our report highlights a unique presentation of a pleural schwannoma presenting as musculoskeletal-type chest pain in an adult female. Our patient's diagnosis of pleural schwannoma was supported after X-Ray, Computed Tomography (CT) Scan, and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan imaging was complete. All imagining and immunohistochemical staining yielded pleural schwannoma as the final diagnosis. We aim to bring awareness to the necessity of imaging and histopathological staining in atypical clinical cases of pleural schwannoma. Our novel case highlights pleural schwannoma as a differential diagnosis for patients with intermittent, musculoskeletal-type chest pain.

Challenging Diagnosis: Unmasking the Enigma of Imaging Findings with Lung Schwannomas

“…6,7 The substance of this tumor is Schwann cells, which cover the axons of the nerves of peripheral, cranium, and autonomic nervous system. 7,8 Therefore, they are often grown in areas rich in the nervous system such as the neck, arms, posterior mediastinum, and retroperitoneum. 5,9 Although most visceral schwannomas are found on the posterior aspects of the human body, such as the posterior mediastinum and retroperitoneum, schwannomas in other internal organs have begun to be reported due to the refinement of radiographic scanning and the improvement of three-dimensional imaging algorithms.…”