Unusual Presentation of a Posterior Mediastinal Schwannoma Associated with Chest Pain, Cough, Hemoptysis and Dyspnia

Neurogenic tumors (NT) are the most common of posterior mediastinal tumors an 80% of all posterior mediastinal tumors are (NT). They originate from the spinal cord, sympathetic ganglia, or peripheral nerve roots. A schwannoma is a slow-growing, encapsulated, and benign neurogenic tumor. Fewer than 9% of schwannomas are located in the mediastinum. Posterior mediastinal schwannomas originate from neural crest cells and typically from the intercostal nerves. Mediastinal schwannomas are often asymptomatic but may present with unusual symptoms as cough or dyspnea and hemoptysis because of pulmonary invovovement. Although a definitive diagnosis is made by histopathology and immunohistochemical analysis and electron microscopy can be used to help ite final diagnosis. We present a case of a benign posterior mediastinal schwannoma which present in CXR and computed tomography (CT) imaging as a cystic lesion in a 58-year-old woman who admitted to our hospital with back pain,cough,hemomptsis and dyspnea.