Case Report
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 28, 2007; 13(8): 1275-1278
Published online Feb 28, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i8.1275
Common bile duct schwannoma: A case report and review of literature
Luigi Fenoglio, Sara Severini, Paola Cena, Elena Migliore, Christian Bracco, Fulvio Pomero, Sergio Panzone, Giovan Battista Cavallero, Alberto Silvestri, Rodolfo Brizio, Felice Borghi
Luigi Fenoglio, Sara Severini, Paola Cena, Elena Migliore, Christian Bracco, Fulvio Pomero, Sergio Panzone, Giovan Battista Cavallero, Alberto Silvestri, Department of Internal Medicine, Santa Croce and Carle Hospital, Cuneo, Italy
Rodolfo Brizio, Department of Pathology, Santa Croce and Carle Hospital, Cuneo, Italy
Felice Borghi, Department of General Surgery, Santa Croce and Carle Hospital, Cuneo, Italy
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Luigi Fenoglio, Santa Croce Hospital, Via Michele Coppino 26, Cuneo12100,Italy. fenoglio.l@ospedale.cuneo.it
Telephone: +39-338-5064398 Fax: +39-171-641615
Received: November 14, 2006
Revised: December 15, 2006
Accepted: February 12, 2007
Published online: February 28, 2007
Abstract

Schwannoma is a myelin sheath tumor complicated with neurofibroma, neurofibromatosis and neurogenic sarcoma. Peripheral nerve sheath tumors represent 2%-6% of gastrointestinal tract stromal tumors (GIST), but there are deficient data about location of neurogenic tumors in the biliary system and only nine cases of schwannoma of the extrahepatic biliary tract have been reported. These tumors are clinically non-specific. They are usually symptomatic by compressing the close or adjacent structures when being retroperitoneal, and their preoperative diagnosis is extremely difficult. This paper reviews the literature data and describes a case of schwannoma of the common bile duct associated with cholestasis in a healthy young woman, diagnosed and treated in our department. This case is of interest on account of the complexity of its diagnosis and the atypical macroscopic growth pattern of the tumor.

Keywords: Schwannoma; Neurinoma; Common bile duct; Biliary tract