SCHWANNOMA OF THE CERVICAL SYMPATHETIC CHAIN

Schwannomas are benign, slow-growing tumors that arise from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath. Those originating from the sympathetic cervical chain are extremely rare and usually presents as an asymptomatic neck mass. Here we report a case of schwannoma of the cervical sympathetic chain in a 32-year-old man who had asymptomatic neck mass for 6 months. But it appeared pulsatile due to the anterior displacement of carotid sheath by the mass and thus mimics a carotid body tumor. As discussed in this report CT scan with contrast is enough for ruling out paraganglioma and imposing extra expense for MRI and angiography is unnecessary .The only rare complication encountered after surgery was Horner's syndrome, which required no treatment.