Cervical Sympathetic Chain Schwannoma

Introduction. Schwannomas of the head and neck develop from the sheaths of cranial, peripheral or autonomic nerves. Between 25% and 45% of schwannomas occur in this region. Schwannomas of the sympathetic chain are very rare, and the literature describes just over 40 cases, localised mostly in the neck or retroperitoneal areas. Case report. We present the case of a 38 year-old woman with a large schwannoma of the cervical sympathetic chain. At its widest, the tumour reached a maximum diameter of 130 mm. Since the mediastinal component was so large, the tumour was operatively excised via a right posterolateral thoracotomy. Microscopic analysis confirmed the diagnosis of benign schwannoma. A computed tomography scan six months after resection showed no evidence of local recurrence. Conclusion. Schwannomas of the cervical sympathetic chain are extremely rare tumours. Proper diagnosis requires microscopic tumour tissue analysis. Although these tumours are benign, they can cause a variety of symptoms while growing, necessitating urgent operative treatment.