Ancient schwannoma in the parotid gland: A case report and review of the literature

Schwannomas are uncommon neoplasms of neurologic origin that are rare in the salivary glands. A schwannoma that persists for a long time is referred to as an ancient schwannoma if it is accompanied by degenerative changes on histology. The case described herein involved a 37-year-old man with an ancient schwannoma that had persisted for 20 years in his right parotid gland. Clinically, the lesion presented with swelling and pain. Computed tomography revealed a well-defined, multilocular enhanced lesion. T2-weighted magnetic resonance images displayed multilocular hyperintensity, while T1-weighted images showed a high signal at the lobulated margin and a homogeneous low signal internally. The preoperative diagnosis, based on the lesion's location and imaging diagnosis, was Warthin’s tumor. However, a biopsy conducted after surgical excision identified the lesion as a schwannoma with cystic degeneration. This report also presents a summary of the characteristics of rare cases of schwannoma in the major salivary gland based on this case and a literature review.