Primary microcystic/reticular schwannoma of the frontal bone: illustrative case

BACKGROUND: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case of microcystic/reticular schwannoma arising in the frontal bone. OBSERVATIONS: An 18-year-old man presented to the authors’ orthopedic clinic with a complaint of a progressively enlarging, painless mass in the frontal bone. It showed significant hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging with progressive enhancement. Computed tomography combined with three-dimensional reconstruction showed expansive bone destruction with a soft tissue mass in the left side of the frontal bone, without calcification inside or a sclerotic margin around it. The mass was a microcystic/reticular schwannoma as confirmed by surgical pathology. LESSONS: The authors report a rare case of a microcystic/reticular schwannoma arising in the frontal bone, with relatively comprehensive imaging data that enabled them to learn more about this tumor.