Symptomatic Abdominal Wall Schwannoma Mimicking Infected Subcutanous Soft Tissue Lesion. A Case report

Schwannomas are benign tumors of the nerve sheath, they do not typically present on the abdominal wall and cause symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second symptomatic case of schwannoma in upper abdominal wall reported according to the reviewed English medical literature.

A 25-year-old man post renal transplant two year ago. He presented with left hypochondrial painfull swelling, and redness. On examination, local examination revealed a lesion located in the anterior abdominal wall swelling, 3 × 3 cm, tender with minimal erythema and hotness but no discharge. An ultrasound showed superficial oval shaped with thick wall and mildly increased peripheral vascularity without internal vascularity. He underwent surgical excision and the histopathology result was schwannoma.

Usually, a patient presents asymptomatic with a slow growing mass. However, the symptoms can vary and depending on the location. Furthermore, a growing lump can start putting pressure on the nerves around the area, and patients can show symptoms accordingly. The likability of ultrasound to pick up a well-circumscribed mass and reaching a definitive diagnosis without histopathology is nearly impossible. Therefore, a complete excision and histopathology confirmed the presence of schwannoma.

Upon the rarity of schwannomas presenting in atypical regions, such as the abdominal wall. A painful mass on the abdominal wall should raise the suspicion of benign schwannoma. The recurrence rate after the treatment of choice is unusual. Moreover, complete surgical excision of the mass is the definitive treatment.