Intraocular schwannoma: A case series of 3 patients

Schwannoma is a proliferation of neoplastic Schwann cells. Schwannomas comprise 8-10% of all primary intracranial tumors. Primary intraorbital schwannoma arising from the ciliary nerves in the uvea, which accounts for 1-2% of all intracranial tumors, is a rare intraocular neoplasm. Intraocular schwannoma frequently masquerades as melanoma, reflecting the difficulty in clinically distinguishing it from malignant melanoma and the requirement for a histopathological diagnosis. The aim of the present study was to report a case series of 3 patients diagnosed with intraocular schwannoma at the Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University People's Hospital (Beijing, China). Patients with intraocular schwannoma were identified by searching the computerized database and patient medical records of the Department of Ophthalmology of Peking University People's Hospital. The patients (2 men and 1 woman; mean age, 34 years; age range, 25-48 years) were all treated by trans-scleral local resection, and schwannoma was confirmed by biopsy. The study found that choroidal schwannoma has a variety of clinical manifestations, with iridodialysis, subluxation of the lens and exudative detachment of the retina observed. The present study indicates that a pathological biopsy is required for diagnosis and that the optimal therapy is local resection.