Esophageal schwannoma of the upper mediastinum: report of a case

Esophageal schwannoma is extremely rare, and it is difficult to confirm a definitive diagnosis preoperatively. We report the case of a 67-year-old male with an asymptomatic esophageal schwannoma with a major axis of 6 cm. Computed tomographic angiography was very useful for determining a safe and efficient route of access to the tumor. Although high 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake and high signal were revealed by diffusion-weighted images, a malignant potential was denied by low-grade clinical symptoms and surgical findings. The patient underwent tumor excision via a cervical collar incision and median sternotomy. This procedure was very useful and was shown to be safe for tumor exfoliation from the main blood vessel and nerve.