title: Giant schwannoma of the lower leg.
abstract: Schwannomas are relatively common, benign, peripheral nerve sheath tumours. They usually range in size from 2 to 20 cm, but when localised in the lower legs the maximum length is less than 10 cm. The case reported here was a giant fusiform schwannoma of the left fibular nerve with a length of 25.5 cm. In contrast to the usual findings of giant schwannomas, no cystic, haemorrhagic or necrotic changes could be found by ultrasonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The combination of tumour size, location and radiological presentation is very unusual and, to our knowledge, has never been reported before in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maleux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brys
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sciot
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Baert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000294:innervation*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010524:Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography