Magnetic Resonance Imaging Appearance of Schwannomas from Head to Toe: A Pictorial Review

Jamie Crist, Jacob R. Hodge, Matthew Frick, Fiona P. Leung, Eugene Hsu, Ming Tye Gi, Sudhakar K. Venkatesh

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Schwannomas are benign soft-tissue tumors that arise from peripheral nerve sheaths throughout the body and are commonly encountered in patients with neurofibromatosis Type 2. The vast majority of schwannomas are benign, with rare cases of malignant transformation reported. In this pictorial review, we discuss the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of schwannomas by demonstrating a collection of tumors from different parts of the body that exhibit similar MRI characteristics. We review strategies to distinguish schwannomas from malignant soft-tissue tumors while exploring the anatomic and histologic origins of these tumors to discuss how this correlates with their imaging findings. Familiarity with the MRI appearance of schwannomas can help aid in the differential diagnosis of soft-tissue masses, especially in unexpected locations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number38
JournalJournal of Clinical Imaging Science
Volume7
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017

Keywords

  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor
  • peripheral nerve sheath tumor
  • schwannoma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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