A Thoracoscopicaly Removed Schwannoma of The Esophagus

Akihiro Nakamura, Shigehiko Ito, Seiichirou Ide, Tsutomu Tagawa, Hiroyuki Nakatani, Masatoshi Haseba, Hideaki Komatsu

Department of Chest Surgery, Kitakyusyu City Yahata Hospital

A very rare case of esophageal schwannoma is reported. A 59-year-old man was referred to our institution because of an abnormal shadow on a chest roentgenogram and chest CT scan. The chest X-ray showed a faint mass in the mediastinum, and a chest CT scan demonstrated a well-demarcated homogeneous mass in the subcarinal region of the mediastinum. Thoracoscopic surgery was performed, the esophageal muscular layer was divided, and the tumor was enucleated by gentle blunt dissection. Intraoperatively, an esophagoscope was used to confirm the absence of esophageal mucosal damage. The resected tumor was large (5.0×3.5×2.5 cm). Histopathological examination showed a schwannoma. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged 15 days after surgery. He is well 12 months following treatment, with no evidence of recurrence of disease.

Key words
schwannoma of the esophagus, benign esophageal tumor, video-assisted thoracic surgery

Reprint requests
Akihiro Nakamura Deparment of Chest Surgery, Kitakyusyu City Yahata Hospital
4-18-1 Nishihonmachi, Yahatahigashi-ku, Kitakyusyu, 805-0061 JAPAN

Accepted
July 22, 1998

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