Benign Tumors
Oral Schwannoma
aka Neurilemmoma
Benign encapsulated tumour of Schwann cells arising from peripheral nerve sheath; solitary, slow-growing and eccentric to the parent nerve.
§ figuresFigures (2)
Fig. 1Schwannoma Pathological and histological images courtesy of Ed Uthman at flickr.
“Schwannoma (5204487782)” · Ed Uthman from Houston, TX, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Fig. 2Schwannoma Pathological and histological images courtesy of Ed Uthman at flickr.
“Schwannoma (5204487768)” · Ed Uthman from Houston, TX, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Verified open-access images only, reproduced for education under their stated licences · no AI-generated or illustrative artwork · Oral Schwannoma figures pending faculty review.
§ overviewOverview
Benign, encapsulated peripheral nerve sheath tumour composed exclusively of well-differentiated Schwann cells.
§ icdICD Classification
D36.1
§ epidemiologyEpidemiology
Tongue is the most common oral site; 25–55% of head-and-neck schwannomas are in the oral cavity; adults 20–50 y.
§ clinicalClinical Features
- 01Slow-growing, painless, firm, submucosal nodule
- 02Usually solitary
- 03May cause paraesthesia if involving lingual/IAN
§ differentialDifferential Diagnosis
- 01Neurofibroma
- 02Fibroma
- 03Lipoma
- 04Salivary gland tumour
§ histopathHistopathology
- 01Encapsulated tumour with Antoni A (compact spindle cells, Verocay bodies) and Antoni B (loose myxoid) areas
- 02Verocay body: nuclear palisading around anuclear zones
§ investigationsInvestigations
- 01MRI: 'target sign' (central low, peripheral high T2)
- 02Fine-needle aspiration unreliable
§ ihcIHC / Special Stains
- 01Strong diffuse S-100 positivity
§ treatmentTreatment
- 01Complete surgical excision with preservation of parent nerve fascicles
- 02Malignant transformation extremely rare
§ complicationsComplications
- 01Nerve injury if excision incomplete
- 02Rare recurrence
§ prognosisPrognosis
Excellent; malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour only in NF1 setting.
§ examKey Examination Points
- 01Solitary tongue nodule → biopsy
- 02MRI target sign
§ revisionQuick Revision Summary
- 01Antoni A/B · Verocay bodies · S-100+ · excision curative
§ vivaBDS Viva Questions
- 01Antoni A vs B?
- 02Schwannoma vs neurofibroma?
- 03Malignant risk?
§ mcqsMCQs — Assessment (3)
Question 1
Most common oral site:
Question 2
Verocay bodies are found in:
Question 3
IHC marker:
§ evidenceReferences & Evidence
Current Classification
WHO Classification of Head and Neck Tumours
5th Edition — Volume 9
WHO Classification of Tumours Editorial Board · 2022
The authoritative international classification of head and neck, odontogenic and salivary gland tumours. Current terminology on this site follows this edition.
Evidence summary
Highest level of evidence linked to this page: WHO / Official Classification.
- L1 · Classification — 2
- L6 · Textbook — 3
1 linked source was published from 2024 onwards. Where guidance is limited or contested, rely on the higher-level sources above rather than this summary. Educational use only — not a substitute for clinical judgement.
Content last reviewed
September 2026
Evidence last reviewed
September 2026
Next scheduled review
September 2027
Review status
EVIDENCE REVIEWED
Search latest PubMed evidence
Last literature search: 7 September 2026
Current Classification
WHO Classification of Tumours Editorial Board. IARC / World Health Organization · 2022
The authoritative international classification of head and neck, odontogenic and salivary gland tumours. Current terminology on this site follows this edition.
IARC / WHO. IARC · 2022
Continuously updated online edition of the WHO head and neck tumour classification.
Histopathology References
Barnes L. CRC Press · 2008
Detailed histopathological reference for head and neck diagnostic criteria.
Textbook References
Neville BW, Damm DD, Allen CM et al.. Elsevier · 2024
Standard reference textbook of oral and maxillofacial pathology used throughout this atlas.
Rajendran R, Sivapathasundharam B. Elsevier · 2020
Undergraduate and postgraduate oral pathology textbook widely used in BDS and FCPS curricula.
Additional sources cited on this page
- Neville BW. Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, 4e
Draft — pending faculty review. Educational use only; verify against current guidelines and primary sources before clinical application.