Laparoscopic Resection of Retroperitoneal Schwannoma Near the Inferior Vena
published online 08 February 2010.
Background
Schwannomas are usually benign tumors that arise from the schwann cells in the neural sheaths of peripheral nerves. Most schwannomas occur in the head, neck, or limbs and rarely in the retroperitoneal space. In the retroperitoneal space, schwannomas are most commonly located near the adrenal gland. We report a successfully resected retroperitoneal benign schwannoma near the inferior vena cava (IVC) using laparoscopic surgery.
Methods/Results
A 33-year-old woman presented with dull abdominal pain for several months. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the existence of a round, sharply demarcated retroperitoneal solid tumor, 42 × 52 mm in size, located between the anterior of the right kidney and the IVC, which was compressed but still patent. The lesion was laparoscopically resected, and pathologic examination revealed a degenerative schwannoma.
Conclusion
Laparoscopic surgery is very useful and feasible in the diagnosis and treatment of retroperitoneal schwannoma, with minimal invasiveness and early postoperative recovery.
Clinic of General Surgery, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
Correspondence to: Taylan Ozgur Sezer, Clinic of General Surgery, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir 35400, Turkey
ABSTRACT