Thoracoscopic resection of a vagal schwannoma in the superior mediastinum: A case report

Resection of a schwannoma originating from vagus nerve in the right superior mediastinum

BACKGROUND

Schwannoma is the most common mediastinal neurogenic tumor, while schwannoma originating from mediastinal vagus nerve is rare.

CASE PRESENTATION

This article reported one case of schwannoma originating from vagus nerve in the right superior mediastinum. The mediastinal schwannoma was completely resected through a right-sided video-assisted thoracoscopic thoracotomy. Histologic examination clarified the diagnosis as schwannoma.

CONCLUSION

Chest CT scan and MRI can be used to determine the location of mediastinal schwannoma and its relationship with adjacent tissue. Histologic examination showing distinctive feature of Antoni A areas and Antoni B areas can help clarify the diagnosis. Complete surgical resection is the first-line treatment option for mediastinal schwannomas.

Vagus nerve schwannoma in the right upper mediastinum

A 35‐year‐old woman was admitted to our hospital with an abnormal shadow on her chest roentgenogram. Computed tomography showed that a tumor was located in the right upper mediastinum. Resection of the tumor by video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed. Operative findings determined that the tumor originated from the right vagus nerve and was diagnosed as schwannoma by pathological examination.

A case of schwannoma of the mesoesophagus displaced from the left to the right of the posterior mediastinum

Although schwannomas are the most common neurogenic tumors found in the thorax, schwannomas of the mesoesophagus are extremely rare. We report a case of an 80-year-old man having a tumor in contact with the esophagus in the left posterior mediastinum. A preoperative follow-up computed tomography scan showed tumor displacement from the left to the right of the posterior mediastinum. The patient underwent surgery, and the tumor was diagnosed as a schwannoma of the mesoesophagus. The tumor might have been displaced from the left to the right of the posterior mediastinum because it was located in the mesoesophagus.