To investigate the specific clinical manifestations, surgery treatment of internal and external growth of thoracolumbar intraspinal schwannomas and provide evidences for early diagnosis and treatment.

From March 2011 to July 2013, medical records of seven patients with spinal schwannoma were retrospectively reviewed, which were first diagnosed with non-spinal diseases.

Among seven patients, two patients admitted to urology for the first time, one patient in department of hepatobiliary surgery, two cases in department of gynecology, one patient in department of pain, one case in department of physiotherapy.Patients got the right diagnosis after proper consultation and further examination.Among seven patients, five patients with different degree of spinal canal nerve compression symptoms including leg pain, numbness, weakness while two cases with no obvious symptoms.It may be neurogenic tumors by CT and MRI examination.Schwannoma were confirmed by postoperative pathological examination.In the following 1.3 years, basic symptoms disappeared, it didn′t appear recurnence and new symptoms.

Parts of the internal and external growth of thoracolumbar intraspinal schwannomas have their specific clinical manifestations: abdominal mass oppression for initial symptoms, while spinal nerve compression symptoms appear later.Thinking of the possibility of the disease and relevant examination are the keys to the appropriate diagnosis and treatment.Combined extracapsular resection inside and outside the spinal canal is an effective way for internal and external growth of thoracolumbar intraspinal schwannomas.