Retroperitoneal schwannoma presenting as an adrenal tumor

Abstract

A retroperitoneal tumor in the region of the adrenal gland was diagnosed in a 56-year-old woman. The patient had been suffering from a dull abdominal pain for nearly four weeks before consulting her family physician. Ultrasound, CT and MRI scans revealed a giant tumor of the right adrenal gland. Endocrine activity could not be demonstrated. The size of the tumor was suggestive of an adrenal carcinoma. The patient was referred for adrenalectomy and complete exstirpation of the retroperitoneal mass. The histological examination revealed characteristical findings of a benign schwannoma.

Small juxtadrenal cellular schwannoma

“…Therefore, juxtadrenal schwannomas tend to be clinically mistaken for adrenal tumors. The present case was relatively small in size compared with previously reported cases [1,3,4,5,6], suggesting that recent advances in imaging modalities can detect small juxtadrenal schwannoma.…”

“…Schwannoma of retroperitoneal tissue is rare, the incidence being from 0.5% to 1.2% of all benign [3]. In particular, juxtadrenal schwannoma is exceedingly rare; only several cases have been reported in the English literature [1,3,4,5,6]. Most of them were preoperatively diagnosed as adrenal tumors and were supplied by the adrenal arteries [1,3,4,5,6], as was the case with the present case.…”

“…In particular, juxtadrenal schwannoma is exceedingly rare; only several cases have been reported in the English literature [1,3,4,5,6]. Most of them were preoperatively diagnosed as adrenal tumors and were supplied by the adrenal arteries [1,3,4,5,6], as was the case with the present case. Therefore, juxtadrenal schwannomas tend to be clinically mistaken for adrenal tumors.…”

“…Sir, adrenal and juxtadrenal schwannomas are exceedingly rare; only several case reports have been published in the English literature [1,3,4,5,6]. We herein report on a case of small juxtadrenal cellular schwannoma.…”

Clinical management of malignant adrenal tumors

“…Other rare malignant tumor types with primary location in the adrenal region include lymphoma, histiocyto-sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, germinal tumors, and schwannomas Wu et al 1999;Pittasch et al 2000). Dierential diagnoses of malignant lesions in the adrenal glands must consider metastases of other tumors, particularly malignant melanomas, renal, breast, and bronchial carcinomas.…”