The schwannoma: an uncommon type of cystic lesion of the pancreas

Schwannomas of the pancreas are rare and their number is lower than is usually reported in the literature since some were probably neurofibromas. We report a further case characterized by cystic feature, clinically mimicking a pancreatic pseudocyst. Cystic lesions of the pancreas also comprise the schwannomas, both benign or malignant, as has been previously reported and is stressed by the present case. Cyst formation characterizes many diseases of the pancreas, both neoplastic and not. Difficulties in the differential diagnosis of cysts are fortunately reduced by the preponderance of pseudocysts (i.e. non-neoplastic cysts) and, among neoplastic ones, of cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas. As a consequence, uncommon cystic neoplasms are neglected and very often misdiagnosed. We reported a case of solitary schwannoma mimicking a pancreatic pseudocyst, interesting both because of its rarity and because of its cystic feature which was previously reported in the literature but not emphasized.