A Case of Retroperitoneal Schwannoma that was Completely Resected by Laparoscopic Surgery

Abstract

A 35-year-old woman was diagnosed as having a neurogenic tumor upon further examination after a pelvic mass was noted accidentally during a medical examination, and it was resected by laparoscopic surgery. When the dorsal periphery of the tumor was dissected, it was found that the tumor originated in a nerve emerging from the 3^rd sacral foramen. The tumor was easily dissected from the sacral foramen and could be completely removed laparoscopically, with preservation of the surrounding organs. Postoperative histopathology revealed the diagnosis of schwannoma. Surgical resection is the treatment of first choice for retroperitoneal schwannomas, and in recent years, laparoscopic surgery has been reported to be useful, although treatment based on sufficient evidence has not yet been established. In this report, we discuss the strategy from diagnosis to treatment based on previous reports.