Giant schwannoma of the median nerve in a 13-year-old girl managed at a tertiary hospital in Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract

Schwannomas, also known as neurilemmomas, are rare benign tumours of the peripheral nerve sheath. It commonly affects adults. We reviewed the patient’s medical records, clinical examination findings, and investigation results with a literature review. We present a 13-year-old child with a history of a slow-growing, painless tumour on the volar surface of the right forearm. There was a preceding history of trauma from corporal punishment in school, which was a red herring, with no symptoms or signs of nerve deficit, but there were signs suggestive of compressive effects. We did not carry out magnetic image resonance or electrophysiological studies. We made a diagnosis of intraneural lipoma and surgically enucleated the tumour. A histopathological diagnosis of schwannoma was made. There was no residual nerve deficit post-surgery, and compressive symptoms resolved. Schannomas of the median nerve are a rare finding in a child. Surgical enucleation with nerve preservation is the treatment of choice.