Where is your smartphone? An unusual mass within the tensor fasciae latae muscle

Abstract

We report a case of a 40-year-old Italian man presenting with an intramuscular schwannoma in his left thigh, which coincided with the area where he habitually stored his smartphone (front left trouser pocket). An ultrasound examination revealed a well-defined, encapsulated, hypoechoic lesion (41 × 15 × 28 mm) within the muscle, showing multiple small foci of vascularity on color Doppler. Elastographic analysis indicated a deformability score of 2, with some areas of stiffness. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the presence of a spindle-shaped mass in the tensor fasciae latae muscle, with varying enhancement after contrast administration. Notably, the location of the intramuscular mass closely corresponded to the placement of the phone's SIM card. While we cannot establish a definitive causal relationship between the patient's smartphone storage habit and the development of the intramuscular schwannoma, we speculate that the habitual storage location may have potentially acted as a risk or predisposing factor. This case underscores the need for further research on the potential health risks associated with smartphone storage habits, considering their widespread prevalence in today's society.