# Case Report: Coexistence of an esophageal schwannoma disguised as a leiomyoma with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the gastric fundus

## TL;DR

This case report describes a rare coexistence of an esophageal schwannoma and a gastric fundus gastrointestinal stromal tumor, highlighting diagnostic challenges and treatment.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in the first reported case of coexisting esophageal schwannoma and gastric fundus GIST, emphasizing the need for improved diagnostic methods.

## Key findings

- Esophageal schwannoma was misdiagnosed as a leiomyoma preoperatively.
- Surgical resection was effective for treating the schwannoma.
- The case highlights the rarity and diagnostic complexity of coexisting gastrointestinal tumors.

## Abstract

To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of coexisting esophageal schwannoma and gastric fundus gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). This case report describes the diagnostic and treatment process of a patient with esophageal schwannoma who also had a concurrent gastric fundus GIST and was presented to Hebei General Hospital (Hebei, China) in October 2024. The association between the pathogenesis of the two types of submucosal gastrointestinal tumors is unclear, with limited existing evidence in the literature. The esophageal schwannoma was misdiagnosed as a leiomyoma preoperatively, which prompted us to seek new diagnostic modalities to differentiate gastrointestinal submucosal lesions (leiomyomas, GISTs, and schwannomas). Surgical resection is considered the optimal treatment for esophageal schwannoma. The patient underwent a right single-port thoracoscopic esophageal tumor resection and recovered well, subsequently being discharged smoothly from the hospital.