Lumbar "ancient" Schwannoma - Case Report and Review of a Rare Entity

Schwannomas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors, originating from sheath structures of nerve cells, the so called Schwann cells. They can grow as peripheral, visceral, intraspinal or intracranial tumours. Schwannomas primarily represent solitary tumors, slowly progressing over years and manifest mostly in the middle age. Schwannomas themselves are painless; symptoms only appear through compression of adjacent structures. Histologically, five subtypes of schwannomas can be distinguished. An overview of these subclasses is given with this case. This presentation displays a case of a rapidly growing "ancient schwannoma" at the lumbar region in a 26-year-old male patient.