Single-port transumbilical laparoscopic excision of retroperitoneal schwannoma mimicking a nonfunctional endocrine tumor in the body of the pancreas: a case report.

Schwannomas are benign tumors that arise from neural sheath Schwann cells. Solitary benign schwannoma is generally located in the head and neck and is a rare neoplasm among the tumors of the retroperitoneal space. Reports of laparoscopic excision of retroperitoneal schwannomas have recently been on the increase. However, few cases of single-port laparoscopic excision of these tumors have been reported. Moreover, there are no reports of single-port excision of schwannomas attached to the body of pancreas and around the splenic vessels. This is the first report of a schwannoma lying adjacent to the body of the pancreas between the splenic artery and vein that was excised by single-port laparoscopic surgery. The most notable aspect of our procedure is the use of bipolar forceps. Single-port laparoscopic excision using bipolar forceps is a feasible and safe procedure for retroperitoneal solitary tumors, even when they are close to the splenic artery and vein.