Benign esophageal schwannoma compressing the trachea in pregnancy.

A rare case of esophageal schwannoma compressing the trachea in pregnancy is presented. A 29-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized due to severe dyspnea. Imaging studies revealed a homogeneous tumor (8 cm in diameter) in the posterior mediastinum with compression of the lower trachea. After an uneventful cesarean section, the patient underwent a mini-axillary thoracotomy with video-assisted thoracic surgery. The tumor arose from within the muscular layers of the esophagus and was enucleated by gentle blunt dissection. Pathologic and immunohistochemical examinations revealed a benign esophageal schwannoma.