MRI Findings of Intercostal Schwannoma: A Case Report

Intercostal schwannomas, also known as intercostal nerve neurilemmomas or neurinomas, are uncommon encapsulated neoplasms that originate in nerve sheaths of intercostal nerves (1, 2). Fewer than 10% of primary neural tumors of the chest originate peripherally from intercostal nerves; most neural tumors of the chest arise in the mediastinum (3). They are almost invariably slow-growing nonaggressive neoplasms and usually manifest clinically as a painless mass without neurologic symptoms (4). Radiologically, they are well-marginated soft-tissue mass with contrast enhancement, and may contain areas of fat or cystic degeneration (5). Herein, we present a case of intercostal schwannoma with imaging findings of various modalities involving typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and discuss the clinical and radiographic manifestations. CASE REPORT