Cervical Sympathetic Schwannoma: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

This studydescribes two cases of cervical sympathetic schwannoma operated at department ofvascular surgery and review the literature to clarify the demographic,diagnostic, and therapeutic features of these rare lesions for the first time.Two 32- and 59-year-old ladies both presenting with a painless cervical masswere referred to our service with the initial diagnosis of carotid body tumor.At the operation, mobile masses which could be easily dissected from thesurrounding arteries and veins, except for the cervical sympathetic trunk wereobserved. Micro-surgical techniques helped us with removing the lesions withsaving the sympathetic trunk in both cases. No permanent deficits were observedpost-operatively in patients. Angiographic studies can provide the onlypre-operative clues to diagnose a sympathetic schwannoma. Total removal of thelesion at the expense of sacrificing the sympathetic nerve is associated withminimal neurologic deficits which are well tolerated by the patient.