Rare Presentation of a Posterior Mediastinal Cystic Schwannoma as a Large Pleural Effusion

Mujtaba Mubashir; Abdus Salam; Amyn Sonawalla; Huma Fatima; Saulat H Fatimi

doi:10.7759/cureus.1558

Rare Presentation of a Posterior Mediastinal Cystic Schwannoma as a Large Pleural Effusion

Cureus. 2017 Aug 10;9(8):e1558. doi: 10.7759/cureus.1558.

Authors

Mujtaba Mubashir¹, Abdus Salam², Amyn Sonawalla², Huma Fatima², Saulat H Fatimi³

Affiliations

¹ Medical School, The Aga Khan University.
² Medical College, The Aga Khan University.
³ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Aga Khan University.

Abstract

A 46-year-old man presented with shortness of breath and recurrent, left-sided pleural effusions. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest showed a large, left-sided pleural effusion with a mass in the posterior mediastinum. A pleural tap showed lymphocytic exudate. The biopsy of the mass was inconclusive. A left posterolateral thoracotomy was performed, which showed a large posterior mediastinal mass adherent to the left lung. The mass was completely excised and the histopathology proved it to be giant predominantly cystic schwannoma. The pleural effusion resolved after tumor resection.

Keywords: cystic; cystic schwannoma; pleural effusion; posterior mediastinal; schwannoma; thorax.

Publication types

Case Reports