Gastric schwannoma: a case report

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Gastric schwannomas are uncommon mesenchymal neoplasms originating from the enteric nerve plexuses.
• These tumors typically manifest with vague abdominal symptoms or are found incidentally during investigations for other conditions.

Observation:

• A case study of a 68-year-old male presenting with chronic abdominal discomfort is detailed.
• Diagnostic workup, including CT scans and endoscopy, revealed a submucosal gastric lesion with benign characteristics.
• The lesion showed no signs of lymph node or distant metastatic spread.

Findings:

• Surgical resection via open laparotomy was performed.
• Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis of a benign gastric schwannoma.
• The tumor exhibited benign gross features and no evidence of nodal or metastatic involvement.

Implications:

• Complete surgical excision with wide margins remains the gold standard treatment for gastric schwannomas.
• Despite advancements in imaging and endoscopy, preoperative diagnosis is challenging.
• Benign schwannomas have an excellent prognosis, necessitating regular clinical monitoring post-excision.