Retrorectal schwannoma: a case report of an extremely rare location

TL;DR

A rare case of a schwannoma tumor in the retrorectal area is reported, highlighting the difficulty in diagnosing such uncommon tumors.

Contribution

This case report adds to the limited literature on retrorectal schwannomas and emphasizes the challenges in their diagnosis.

Findings

A 66-year-old female presented with abdominal pain and urinary retention due to a presacral mass.

Surgical excision confirmed the diagnosis of retrorectal schwannoma.

Complete surgical resection is the recommended curative treatment for such tumors.

Abstract

Schwannomas are tumors that arise from Schwann cells in the neural sheath. They are usually benign tumors and rarely occur in the retroperitoneal space. Retro rectal schwannomas often lack specific symptoms and present non-orienting radiologic imaging characteristics, making the diagnosis challenging. We herein report the case of a 66-year-old female patient who presented with abdominal pain and urinary retention. A presacral mass was detected on imaging and the patient underwent a surgical excision of the tumor. The diagnosis of such lesions is rigorous due to their uncommon location and very unspecific symptoms, and complete surgical resection remains the curative treatment.

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