Diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal schwannoma / 中华普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics,diagnosis,differential diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal schwannoma.Methods Clinical data of 3 patients with gastrointestinal schwannoma were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Results Gastrointestinal bleeding or melena,anemia and epigastric pain were the most common presenting symptoms.The symptoms,physical signs and auxitiary examinations (such as X-ray,ultrasonography and gastrointestinal endoscopy) of gastrointestinal schwannoma had no value in differentiation.In all the 3 patients definite diagnosis was achieved only by postoperative pathology.Conclusion Gastrointestinal schwannoma are derived from the Schwann cells of nerves in gastrointestinal wall and are usually benign.Benign schwannomas can only be distinguished from the malignant ones on the basis of histological and immunohistochemical criteria.Surgical resection is the most effective treatment.