Cutaneous Ancient Schwannoma of the Ear

Abstract

Schwannoma is a benign encapsulated nerve sheath tumor composed of Schwann cells, that may arise anywhere along the course of a nerve. Cutaneous schwannomas, associated with peripheral nerves, usually present as a slow-growing well-circumscribed nodule, localized in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue. They are generally asymptomatic; however, they may become painful by the nervous compression. Since the clinical signs are non-specific, histology is required for a definitive diagnosis. Herein, we present a case of a solitary cutaneous ancient schwannoma of the ear, a histopathological variant of schwannoma with distinctive morphological characteristics.