A Purely Paraspinally Located Schwannoma from a Dorsal Root of a Spinal Nerve

Abstract

Background: Spinal Schwannomas are benign nerve sheet tumors and the most common intradural extramedullary tumors of the spine, mainly occurring in the cervical and lumbar region. Case Description: Here we illustrate the case of a 34-year-old woman with a paraspinal lesion presenting with severe lumbar pain. There were no focal sensory or motor deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed a nodular lesion embedded in the paraspinal lumbar musculature, suspicious of tumorous growth. Complete surgical excision of the lesion was performed with clear margins and neuropathological analysis revealed a Schwannoma. Postoperative imaging confirmed a gross total resection with no recurrence after 6 months. Conclusion: Although Schwannomas are frequently encountered in the lumbar spine, a location distinct from the spinal canal is very rare. To be adequately treated, it needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of any spinal or paraspinal mass. As with other accessible and symptomatic lesions, the treatment of choice is complete excision with clean margins to avoid local recurrence.