Rare asymptomatic presentations of schwannomas in early adolescence: Three cases with review of literature

Introduction: Schwannoma also known as Neurilemoma is a benign neoplasm of the Schwann Cells of the neural sheath. They are usually found to occur in the extremities, but can also be found in the trunk, head and neck, pelvis, and rectum. It is seldom painful and usually remains small. It has no potential for malignancy unless the patient has multi-neural tumours. It usually presents as a slowly enlarging painless nodule somewhat movable beneath the surface, rarely becomes larger than 2 cm in diameter and is most frequently diagnosed in 25-55 yrs of age. Patients and methods: We report three rare, asymptomatic presentations of schwannomas at adolescent age, in the back, pancreas and in the cervical region with a review of the available literature. Conclusion: Despite the rarity of the presentations, as encountered by us, similar swellings in the adolescent age group can be schwannomas and can be adequately managed surgically alone. This is what should be borne in mind, for 'what the mind knows is what the eyes see'. (C) 2010 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.