Carotid body tumor (CBT), the most common tumor of the carotid bifurcation, presents as a pulsatile mass. Cervical sympathetic chain (CSC) schwannomas are slow growing lesions originating from myelin-producing Schwann ceils. They may appear pulsatile due to the displacement of vascular structures by the non-vascular mass and thus may mimic a CBT. A case of CSC schwannoma masquerading as CBT in a 25-year-old woman is presented and discussed here.
PannetonJ.M., RusnakB.W.: Cervical sympathetic chain schwannomas masquerading as carotid body tumors.Ann Vasc Surg,14: 519–524, 2000.
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RosnerM., FisherW., MulliganL.: Cervical sympathetic schwannoma: case report.Neurosurgery,49: 1452–1454, 2001.
3.
BenzoniE., CojuttiA., IntiniS., UzzauA., BresadolaF.: Schwannoma of the sympathetic cervical chain as a lateral cervical mass.Tumori,89: 211–212, 2003.
