Exploring the Uncommon, Tongue Schwannoma—A Rare Case Report

Schwannoma (neurilemmoma or neurinoma), is a benign tumor arising from Schwann cells that comprise the myelin sheaths surrounding peripheral nerve. They are encapsulated, usually solitary and slow-growing. Approximately 25%-45% of schwannoma occurs in the head and neck region. Intraoral incidence of schwannoma is 1%-12%. The most common intraoral site is tongue (1%) followed by palate, floor of the mouth, buccal mucosa, gingiva, lips and vestibular mucosa, retromolar region is the least common site. We describe a rare case of lingual schwannoma involving the left lateral part of tongue in a young male presented with a slow-growing, asymptomatic, painless mass on the left lateral part of tongue for several years. Magnetic resonance images demonstrated a well-defined almost oval-shaped isolated mass with uniform intensity on T2 weighted images relative to surrounding muscles. Patient was managed with complete surgical excision of the tumor and has not shown any recurrence in the follow-up period of 1 year. Schwannoma of tongue is a rare tumor of head and neck region. The diagnosis should be based on histopathological examination and in some cases after immunohistochemistry findings. Complete transoral resection allows removal of tumor to avoid recurrence and also avoids causing morbidity of tongue function.