Walsh & Hoyt: Schwannomas

These lesions, which have been termed neuromas, neurinomas, and neurilemomas in the past, are believed to arise from the Schwann cells themselves, hence the term schwannoma. Schwannomas most commonly arise from cranial nerves within the intracranial compartment, but tumors arising from spinal nerve roots or peripheral nerves are not rare. Although malignant variants do occur, most schwannomas are benign and cause symptoms and signs through local compression of adjacent neural structures.