title: Primary peripheral nerve sheath tumors of the thyroid gland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNSTs) of the thyroid gland are exceptionally rare tumors that usually present as asymptomatic neck nodules in adults. This article presents a literature review of these tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PNSTs of the thyroid can be classified into benign and malignant. Only three cases of malignant PNSTs have been reported. Benign PNSTs of the thyroid include neurofibromas and schwannomas. Only two cases of isolated neurofibroma of the thyroid have been reported. Schwannomas are typically benign, slow-growing tumors that originate from neuronal schwann cells, with a clinical picture depending on the anatomic size and site. Pathologically, schwannomas are classified into Antoni A and Antoni B. Only 17 cases of schwannomas of the thyroid exist in literature to date.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Schwannomas of the thyroid gland are extremely rare and usually asymptomatic. Complete surgical resection is mandatory for care.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrine and Oncological Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. ekandil@tulane.edu
authors.forename: Emad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kandil
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdel Khalek
authors.forename: Obai
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.forename: Dali
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dali
authors.forename: Sabeen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faruqui
authors.forename: Amna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Friedlander
authors.forename: Bernard M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Jaffe
authors.forename: Byron
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crawford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009455:Neurofibroma / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery