Presacral schwannoma treated as irritable bowel syndrome

Presacral tumours represent a heterogeneous group of predominantly benign and occasionally malignant neoplasms. These tumours, though rare, frequently present either incidentally or with vague symptoms. Schwannomas of the presacral region are one variant described as benign tumours of neurogenic ori...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ case reports 2010-09, Vol.2010 (oct22 1), p.bcr0520102972-bcr0520102972
Main Authors: Habib, Triq, Hamdi, Jamal T, Hussain, Waleed, Almiamini, Wail, Hamdi, Khaled, Wani, Abdul Majid, Al Zeyani, Najah Rashid
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Abscesses
Adult
Constipation
Constipation - etiology
Cysts
Defecation
Delayed Diagnosis
Diagnosis, Differential
Diagnostic Errors
Granulomas
Humans
Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome - diagnosis
Learning from Errors
Male
Medical imaging
Middle East
Neurilemmoma - complications
Neurilemmoma - diagnosis
Pain
Sacrococcygeal Region
Tumors
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Presacral tumours represent a heterogeneous group of predominantly benign and occasionally malignant neoplasms. These tumours, though rare, frequently present either incidentally or with vague symptoms. Schwannomas of the presacral region are one variant described as benign tumours of neurogenic origin. The case of a large presacral schwannoma in a 26-year-old man, who was treated for irritable bowel syndrome for 4 years, is presented. The patient presented with intermittent constipation, a feeling of incomplete evacuation of the bowel and vague abdominal discomfort relieved by defecation. The symptomatology worsened and constipation became frequent, and the patient experienced increased urinary frequency. Baseline investigations were normal and ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed a pelvic mass, which on CT scanning was revealed to be a large retrorectal mass. The tumour was resected and histology revealed it to be a schwannoma. This unique case is presented to emphasise that irritable bowel syndrome must be a diagnosis of exclusion, especially if atypical symptoms are present.
ISSN:1757-790X
1757-790X
DOI:10.1136/bcr.05.2010.2972