Schwannoma of the clitoris: a case report

Abstract

Schwannoma (neurilemoma or neurinoma) is a tumor that develops from the Schwann cells in the myelin sheath of the peripheral nerves. It is most commonly observed on the head, neck, upper and lower extremities, posterior mediastinum and retroperitoneum. Schwannomas are rarely found in the external female genitalia. To the best of our knowledge, only 6 cases of clitoral schwannoma have been reported in medical literature. We currently report the case of a 46-year-old woman who was presenting with a 3 X 2 cm, painless mass in her clitoris for the past two years. She has no history of neurofibromatosis. Surgical excision of the mass was undertaken. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry revealed schwannoma of the clitoris. No evidence of local recurrence was noted after 6 months of follow-up. We are reporting the current patient because of the rare location of schwannoma. In the present case report, clinical features, treatment guidelines, diagnostic features and the immunohistochemical characteristics of this tumor are reviewed.