A Rare Case of a Schwannoma in the Dorsal Aspect of the Foot: A Case Report of an 18-Year-Old Man with an Ankle Mass

Mojtaba Ahmadinejad; Samaneh Rashidi; Mohammad Saeed Kahrizi; Fatemeh Moghadasi; Izadmehr Ahmadinejad; Arvin Najafi

doi:10.18502/jost.v8i3.9911

Mojtaba Ahmadinejad Associate Professor, Shahid Madani Hospital, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
Samaneh Rashidi Assistant Professor, Shahid Madani Hospital, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
Mohammad Saeed Kahrizi General Practitioner, Shahid Madani Hospital, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
Fatemeh Moghadasi General Practitioner, Shahid Madani Hospital, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
Izadmehr Ahmadinejad Medical Student, Student Research Committee, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Arvin Najafi Assistant Professor, Shahid Madani Hospital, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jost.v8i3.9911

Keywords: Neurilemmoma; Lower Extremity; Schwann Cells; Soft Tissue Neoplasms

Abstract

Background: Neurilemmomas also called schwannomas are benign tumors originating from the Schwann cells participating in the peripheral nerve sheath and the pathophysiology of the formation of these tumors is not completely understood. Schwannomas are mostly benign with equal incidence rate in men and women. These tumors have been mainly found in the head and neck, upper extremities, and the trunk. Lower extremity schwannomas are extremely rare, specifically in the dorsum of the foot.

Case Report: In this report, we present an 18-year-old man referred to surgery clinic with a painful mass on the anterolateral dorsal aspect of his left ankle with radicular pain and paresthesia to the distal dorsum of the forefoot. After completing all the assessments including ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), he underwent the surgical resection procedure. The pathology laboratory reported an encapsulated 35 * 20 * 15 mm solitary benign schwannoma.

Conclusion: The dorsal aspect of the foot is an extremely rare site for schwannoma formation, but practitioners should always be aware of rare underlying diseases for neurologic deficits or just a simple pain in the lower extremities.