Schwannoma

Music and Lyrics by Arie Perry, MD

Schwannomas present in adult patients in their 40’s or their 50’s
They’re peripheral nerve tumors, often solitary,
And they grow next to the nerve eccentrically
Because of this feature, they can be excised,
And still the nerve can be spared
It’s mainly the compression of adjacent nerve
Which makes the patient impaired


CHORUS:
Schwannomas are no mystery; you look for Antoni A and Antoni B
And Verocay bodies will clinch the diagnosis for me
Hyalinized vessels is another clue,
And good encapsulation is a key feature too
To make the diagnosis when the surgeon’s leaning over you
To make the diagnosis when the surgeon’s leaning over you


Acoustic neuromas are in the CP angle
And involve cranial nerve VIII
In the spinal canal, nerve roots are involved
And can alter the patient’s gait
Grossly, they’re firm, grey-white masses
On cut surface, they’re gelatinous
Ancient neuromas have degenerative changes:
Cystic spaces and hemorrhage

CHORUS

Multiple tumors, and young age of onset,
Suggests hereditary disease
Vestibular schwannomas, and meningiomas,
Meet NF2 criteria with ease
The term schwannomatosis may be utilized,
When multiple tumors are seen
Non-vestibular involvement is a defining feature,
So the head MRI should be clean

CHORUS