Spinal Schwannoma Found in Man With Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a 25-year-old man with persistent right buttock pain and history of a non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis revealed a soft tissue mass later confirmed as schwannoma. Clinicians reported their findings in Clinical Case Reports.

“Schwannoma are tumors of Schwann cells of the peripheral nerve sheath,” explained health care providers from Military Hospital of Tunis in Tunisia. “Sacral location is rarely reported, especially in spondyloarthritis patients.”

The incidence of spinal schwannoma, also called neuroma, is 3 to 4 cases per 1 million people annually, the report explained. MRI, which allows structural and spatial analysis of the mass, is the gold standard for spinal schwannoma diagnosis. Signs associated with spinal schwannomas include pain, numbness, and weakness. Patients tend to be diagnosed between 30 and 50 years of age.

The patient in the case study received a total resection of the tumor, which resolved his pygalgia, according to the report. The diagnosis of schwannoma was confirmed through histological analysis.

“Surgery is the recommended treatment for symptomatic spinal schwannomas,” the team explained.

Reference:
Dhahri R, Bettaieb H, Slouma M, et al. A tale about an unusual cause of pygalgia in non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Clin Case Rep. Published online February 10, 2023. doi:10.1002/ccr3.6954