Giant cystic schwannoma of the middle mediastinum with cervical extension.

Schwannomas (neurilemmomas) are benign tumors arising from the Schwann cells of the neural sheath. They are typically, well-encapsulated lesions which rarely adhere to the adjacent structures. In the chest, schwannomas are often seen within the posterior mediastinum and commonly originating along intercostal nerves. Several operative approaches have previously been described for the resection of these tumors, including thoracoscopic techniques and posterolateral thoracotomy. We report in this case a giant cystic mediastinal schwannoma of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve with cervical extension, unresectable by the usual described approaches, which was completely removed through a cervical approach.