A case of an axillary schwannoma diagnosed by characteristic tinel's sign

Abstract

A 53-year-old woman was seen at the hospital because she was pointed out an abnormal finding at mass-screening examination for cancer of the breast. Ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic tumor shadow 5 mm in diameter in the left breast and a tumor 14 mm in diameter at the left axillary region. Axillary metastasis of breast cancer was suspected. Echo-guided aspiration biopsy cytology of the axillary tumor induced radiating pain to the left hand (Tinel sign). Cytodiagnosis demonstrated spindle shaped cells, and the most likely diagnosis was neurogenic tumor. The tumor was enucleated under general anesthesia while a nerve which seemed to be the intercostobrachial nerve was conserved. The pathological diagnosis was schwannoma. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful.