TITLE:
Schwannoma of the Brachial Plexus Presented as a Neck Mass: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
AUTHORS:
Aslan Ahmadi, Hengameh Hirbod, Mostafa Cheraghipoor, Farzad Izadi
KEYWORDS:
Schwannoma, Cervical Schwannoma, Brachial Plexus Tumors, Extracranial Schwannoma
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery,
Vol.4 No.2,
March
10,
2015
ABSTRACT: Schwannomas of the head and neck as well as brachial plexus primary tumors are both uncommon entities, and combination of these conditions is quite rare. Schwannomas of the brachial plexus are usually asymptomatic and they present as slowly enlarging masses in the supra- or infraclavicular regions. Although imaging plays a routine role in the detection of these neoplasms, identification of the nerve origin is not often feasible until the time of surgery. Definitive diagnosis is based on histopathological features with presence of spindle-shaped Schwann cells. We report a case of a middle aged woman with left lateral mid-neck mass, which based on the clinical findings, was provisionally diagnosed as a painless lymphadenopathy. Ensuing excisional biopsy revealed the brachial plexus as the origin of a tumor, which subsequently was confirmed to be a schwannoma with microscopic evaluation. The course of disease was complicated with upper brachial plexus injury which was recovered by sural nerve graft.