Surgically treated dumbbell schwannoma arising in the brachial plexus with intrathoracic extension

Abstract

We report excision of a brachial plexus dumbbell tumor in the superior mediastinum in single-stage surgery via an anterior approach. A 40-year-old man found in the chest radiography to have a 3.5 cm mass in the right superior mediastinum was confirmed by chest computed tomography and cervical and chest magnetic resonance imaging to have a mass in the C-7 vertebral body and pedicle. The lesion was found to be a dumbbell schwannoma extending through the vertebral foramen. We attempted to resect the tumor via an anterior approach without changing the position. The methods appears to be safe and enabled us to avoid injuring adjacent nerves and vessels.