Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2014 Jul;57(7):473-476. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2014.57.7.473.

Cervical Sympathetic Chain Schwannoma Mimicking Carotid Body Tumor

• Park SC
• Lee YJ
• Kim YJ
• Shin HA

• KMID: 2277917
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2014.57.7.473

Abstract

Schwannoma arising from cervical sympathetic chain is relatively uncommon and can be occasionally misdiagnosed as carotid body tumor. On MR images, schwannoma shows generally hypointense features on the T1-weighted images and hyperintense features on the T2-weighted images. Occasionally, however, contrast administration, which lets schwannoma show marked enhancement, may make it difficult to differentiate schwannoma from carotid body tumor. A 41-year-old woman presented a neck mass on the left. MR images of the neck and carotid angiography revealed a well-enhancing ovoid tumor, which separated the internal carptod arteries from the external carotid arteries at the level of carotid bifurcation. Complete tumor resection was performed and histopathology findings confirmed a schwannoma originating from the sympathetic chain. Postoperatively, miosis and facial anhydrosis of the left side were noted without ptosis, enophthalmos or other neurologic deficits. We report this case with a review of the literatures.

Keyword

Carotid body tumor; Schwannoma; Sympathetic chain

MeSH Terms

Adult
Angiography
Arteries
Carotid Artery, External
Carotid Body Tumor*
Enophthalmos
Female
Humans
Linear Energy Transfer
Miosis
Neck
Neurilemmoma*
Neurologic Manifestations