A Choroidal Schwannoma Confirmed by Surgical Excision

• Published in: Korean journal of ophthalmology Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 49 - 52
• Main Authors: Cho, Young Jae, Won, Jung Bin, Byeon, Suk Ho, Yang, Woo Ik, Koh, Hyoung Jun, Kwon, Oh Woong, Lee, Sung Chul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Ophthalmological Society 01.03.2009; 대한안과학회
• Subjects: Adult; Case Report; Choroid - pathology; Choroid Neoplasms - diagnosis; Choroid Neoplasms - surgery; Diagnosis, Differential; Eye Enucleation - methods; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neurilemmoma - diagnosis; Neurilemmoma - surgery; 안과학; Enucleation; Sclerouvectomy; Schwannoma
• ISSN: 1011-8942; 2092-9382; 2092-9382
• DOI: 10.3341/kjo.2009.23.1.49

Schwannomas rarely present as intraocular tumors and are often misdiagnosed as malignant melanoma. We describe a choroidal schwannoma confirmed by sclerouvectomy. A 30-year-old woman presented with a large nonpigmented intraocular mass of the choroid in the right eye and underwent surgical excision by sclerouvectomy. Histologically, the tumor was composed of a mixture of cellular solid components (Antoni A) and loose myxoid components (Antoni B). The tumor was eventually diagnosed as a schwannoma. Currently available ancillary studies are still of little value in definitively differentiating schwannomas from other choroidal tumors. In the case of atypical findings for a malignant melanoma, a benign neoplasm should be included in the differential diagnosis. This patient avoided enucleation by first having the mass excised. We are unaware of previous reports in which a choroidal schwannoma was diagnosed by surgical excision.