Dumbbell shaped schwannoma of the posterior mediastinum ; a case report

Abstract

A 36-year-old male visited a local physician because of a cough. A chest X-ray film showed an abnormal shadow in the left superior mediastinum, and the patient was referred to our hospital. CT of the chest showed a dumbbell-shaped tumor of the posterior mediastinum developing in the vertebral canal through a spinal foramen. The tumor was very clearly seen by MRI as well as CT after myelography. MRI was thought to be useful in the diagnosis of dumbbell type tumors. Operation was performed first with a longitudinal skin incision of the back and laminectomy in the prone position followed by left axillary thoracotomy in the right lateral position. The dumbbell type tumor was removed completely. The pathological diagnosis was schwannoma. The postoperative course was good. This one-stage operation with position change is useful for dumbbell type tumor of the posterior mediastinum.