Vagus nerve schwannoma mimicking a lateral neck cyst

Abstract

Schwannomas are benign tumors originating from Schwann cells of the myelin sheath. The cystic appearance of a cervical vagal schwannoma is an extremely rare finding, with few patients reported in the literature. A 60-year-old female patient was seen at our service for a slow-growing, 9 6 cm left-sided cystic neck mass. Preoperative clinical and computed tomography evaluation suggested a diagnosis of a lateral neck cyst. The surgical exploration through the lateral cervicotomy revealed a large cystic mass and clearly identified that the tumor was originating from the left vagal nerve. The histopathologic analysis confirmed the diagnosis of schwannoma. Although uncommon, vagal schwannoma with pronounced cystic component should be included in the differential diagnosis of the cystic neck swellings. © 2018 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD