Schwannoma located in the upper gingival mucosa: case report and literature review.

The Schwannoma is a benign tumor that originates from Schwann cells of peripheral motor and sensory nerves. It presents as a solitary, slow growing, smooth-surfaced and asymptomatic firm mass. The pre-operative diagnosis is often difficult, and in majority of cases it can only be made during the surgery and the definitive diagnosis obtained by histological study when cells test positive for S-100 protein. In this report, a case of a 20-year-old female patient with a Schwannoma located in the upper gingival mucosa is discussed. The patient was referred to the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery with chief complaint of enlargement of the upper gingival mucosa at the level of upper right premolar. Clinical findings showed characteristics of connective tissue tumor including epulis; however, histologic and immunohistochemical studies revealed it to be a Schwannoma. There has been no sign of recurrence 1 year and 8 months after surgery.