Mucosal Schwann Cell Hamartoma on Screening Colonoscopy: An Unusual Finding

Abstract

Schwann cells are found in the peripheral nervous system and can sometimes appear as benign hamartoma lesions in various parts of the body. Although rare in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, they have been observed in the colon. Recently, mucosal Schwann cell hamartomas of the GI tract have been studied, and it was discovered that they had yet to be investigated up to 2009. In this context, we present the case of a 60-year-old man who was found to have lesions in the transverse colon during a routine colonoscopy. No further investigations were conducted since these lesions have not been associated with any risk of malignancy transformation and have not been linked to any inherited syndromes.

Learning points: Mucosal Schwann cell hamartomas are rare types of polyps that can be found anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract.They are benign lesions not usually associated with any inherited syndrome and they are usually found incidentally by endoscopy.These polyps are benign and might not require further follow-up once diagnosed.

Keywords: Hamartomas; Schwann cell; colonoscopy; polyps.

Figure 1

Mucosal Schwann cell hamartoma of the colon. (A) Proliferation of bland spindle cells in the lamina propria (H&E, ×40). (B) Higher magnification (H&E, ×100). (C) Strong and diffuse positive immunoreactivity for S100 (×100). (D) Strong positive immunoreactivity for SOX10 (×100).