Vulvar Schwannoma: A Case Report in an Elderly Patient

Abstract

Statement of the problem:Schwannomas are benign tumors of the peripheral nervous system, originating, more specifically, from Schwann cells. They present in the form of a single nodular lesion and are rarely found on the female genital organs. Schwannomas are generally benign, seldom becoming malignant. When present in the vulva, the incidence is higher in patients of 20 to 40 years of age.Case Presentation: This report describes the case of a 73-year old woman with a single tumorous lesion on her vulva. The lesion was mobile, non-inflammatory and practically painless. Surgical resection was followed by investigation by histopathology and immunohistochemistry, with findings confirming a diagnosis of schwannoma. Conclusion & Significance:Identifying the characteristics of schwannomas is of crucial importance when investigating differential diagnoses of vulvar pathologies. Clinical history and a thorough physical examination help ensure adequate management and correct diagnosis of the condition, with the definitive diagnosis being obtained following histopathology and immunohistochemistry.

Schwannoma of the clitoris: a case report

“…To the best of our knowledge only 6 cases of clitoral schwannoma have been reported in medical literature from 1983 to 2019 [1-3, 11, 12]. The age of the patients with vulvar schwannoma ranges between 5-84 years, mostly observed between 20-40 years in female population [4][5][6][7]. In the current case, the patient was a perimenopausal middle-aged woman.…”

“…Schwannomas are generally located on the head, neck, flexor surface of the limbs or the posterior mediastinum [5,7]. They infrequently occur in the vulva and the other female genital organs [2,5,7]. The clitoris has a rich nerve supply, however schwannoma of the clitoris is extremely rare.…”

“…In practice, schwannomas must be differentiated from other important neural tumors in this location, such as neurofibromas, granular cell tumors and malignant tumors, such as neurosarcoma, neurofibrosarcoma andmalignant schwannoma [5]. The differential diagnosis of schwannoma includes a bartholin cyst, lipoma, fibroma, epidermoid cysts, a labial cyst, liposarcoma, fibrosarcoma, angiosarcoma, and mesenchymal tumors [2,7,10,13]. A wide spectrum of mesenchymal tumors can occur in the vulva and vagina of adults.…”

“…Schwannoma can either occur in patients with neurofibromatosis or sporadically. It is most common between 20-40 years of age in female population [4][5][6][7]. Schwannomas are generally observed on the head, neck, upper and lower extremities, retroperitoneum and posterior mediastinum.…”