Excision of an Extrathoracic Chest Wall Benign Schwannoma Associated with an Insulin Injection

Thoracic schwannomas are uncommon benign or malignant tumors arising from the mediastinum. Thoracic shwannomas arising from intercostal nerves are even rarer. While the intrinsic etiology of these tumors is unknown, the extrinsic causes of schwannomas have been associated with repetitive trauma or foreign bodies. We describe a 53 year old diabetic male who presented with a large chest wall mass which had grown in size over a five year period. The mass was found on surgical excision and pathological analysis to be a benign schwannoma arising from an intercostal nerve due to a previous insulin needle injury.