Schwannoma originating from the common iliac artery: a case report.

Schwannomas of the large blood vessels are extremely rare, and tumors adjacent to major vessels may not be considered to originate from the vessels. There have been no previous reports of schwannomas of the common iliac artery. We report on a 57-year-old woman who presented with a mass in the left retroperitoneum. Computed tomography showed a mass abutting and adhering to the left common iliac artery. A portion of the artery was resected together with the mass and vascular reconstruction was carried out. The histological diagnosis was a schwannoma arising in the left common iliac artery. Despite its rarity, a schwannoma of a large artery should be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients with a retroperitoneal mass adjacent to a major vessel. Awareness of this entity might avoid profuse bleeding and enable surgeons to prepare for vascular interposition.