Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour presenting as a pneumothorax

Varied foci of primary benign schwannoma of the thorax: a case series

Schwannomas are the most common tumor of peripheral nerves. It comprises 1 to 2% of total thoracic tumor. Posterior mediastinum is the most common site in thorax. Hereby we are reporting two cases of schwannoma with different sites of origin. The classical presentation of schwannoma is an asymptomatic mass found on chest radiograph. This tumor is usually benign and slow growing. Imaging followed by histopathological examination is key to the diagnosis of this neoplasm. Resection of tumor cures the disease.

[Benign primitive schwannoma of the pleura]

Le schwannome est une tumeur neurogène développée à partir des cellules de Schwann. Dans la région thoracique, le médiastin est le principal site d'apparition du schwannome. Le plus souvent, il s'agit d'une lésion solitaire et la localisation pleurale est extrêmement rare. Nous rapportons un cas de schwannome pleural bénin primitif chez une femme âgée de 44 ans chez qui la lésion a été découverte suite à la réalisation d'un bilan radiologique pour une douleur thoracique et une dyspnée. Le patient a eu résection chirurgicale complète de cette tumeur sous vidéo thoracoscopie. L'étude anatomopathologique a conclu à un schwannome bénin primitif de la plèvre.

Pneumothorax and asthma

This review is focused on the relationship between asthma, pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum while presenting a number of case reports that include these conditions. The association between pneumothorax and asthma is not widely known. While asthma includes a common disorder and is prevalent worldwide, its morbidity and mortality is high when is associated with pneumothorax. Furthermore, the delayed diagnosis of pneumothorax while focusing on asthma includes the higher risk of coincidental pneumothorax in asthmatic patients. In addition, pneumomediastinum is considered benign and self-limiting condition that responds to conservative therapy. Although it is rare, the concurrence of pneumomediastinum with pneumothorax may prove fatal during a serious asthma attack. In conclusion, the symptoms of chest pain, dyspnea or focal chest findings when presented in asthmatic patients, must always create suspicion of pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum to the physician.

Primary malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the pleural cavity: rapid progression

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) accounts for 5-10% of all malignant soft tissue tumors. It often affects the extremities and abdominal cavity and very rarely develops in the thoracic cavity. The incidence in the general population is 0.001%. In our paper we would like to present a case report of a 74-year-old female patient with primary MPNST of the pleural cavity which was previously misdiagnosed as a non-small cell lung cancer. Despite the combined treatment, after four months the patient developed a secondary tumor in the contralateral pleural cavity which was also treated operatively.

Huge intrathoracic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in an adolescent with neurofibromatosis type 1

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare soft tissue malignancy usually found in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) with a poor outcome. Although MPNST can be found in any part of the body including head and neck or extremities, intrathoracic MPNST with or without NF1 is uncommon, especially in children or adolescents. Reported herein is a case of huge intrathoracic MPNST in a 16-year-old girl with NF1, and a brief review of the literature.

Primary pleural benign myxoid schwannoma in an 18-year-old female: a case report and literature review

Pleural schwannomas are exceedingly rare neoplasms of the thoracic cavity. To the best of our knowledge, less than 20 cases have been reported in the medical English literature. Herein, we report the case of primary pleural benign myxoid schwannoma in an 18-year-old female. The patient was originally referred to our tertiary care hospital for further management of right adrenal gland mass. Physical examination and all laboratory tests were normal. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan showed a 4.2 × 3.2 cm, heterogeneous noncalcified mass involving the right adrenal gland region. The right renal vein and inferior vena cava were intact. There was no pleural effusion, ascites, or lymphadenopathy. No pelvic masses were identified. Patient was scheduled for surgical resection. On laparotomy, the mass was not found in its radiologically expected location, and the right kidney and right adrenal gland were intact. The right-sided lower part of diaphragm was opened, and the mass was interestingly found inside the thorax attached to the pleura, and resected successfully. A final histopathological diagnosis of primary pleural benign myxoid schwannoma was established. At a postoperative 6-month followup, there was no radiological evidence of tumor recurrence. Furthermore, literature review on pleural schwannomas is also presented.

A unique, histopathologic lesion in a subset of patients with spontaneous pneumothorax

CONTEXT

Spontaneous pneumothorax can be idiopathic (primary), or it can occur in association with an underlying predisposing condition (secondary). Spontaneous pneumothorax may be a harbinger of an undiagnosed clinical condition, which may be associated with serious systemic abnormalities, making early recognition and diagnosis important. The pulmonary pathology of some of these disorders has not been fully elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

To review cases of pneumothorax in the hope of identifying pathologic features that might correlate to specific clinical syndromes.

DESIGN

The pathology computer files at 3 hospitals were searched for all cases of spontaneous pneumothorax, primary and secondary, regardless of etiology during a 11-year period. Ninety-two cases were retrieved. Each of the cases was evaluated for reactive eosinophilic pleuritis, elastosis, pleural fibrosis, emphysema, intra-alveolar macrophages, cholesterol clefts, vasculopathy, and intraparenchymal or intrapleural cysts. Clinical information regarding asthma and smoking history, site of the pneumothorax, family history, radiographic findings, predisposing conditions, recurrence, age, and sex were extracted from the medical records.

RESULTS

In 11 patients (12% of all the patients with spontaneous pneumothorax), a distinctive pattern of pleural fibrosis with islands of fibroblastic foci within a myxoid stroma was noted at the pleural-parenchymal interface or leading edge. These lesions correlated with a select subset of patients, consisting predominantly of young men.

CONCLUSIONS

Our review identified a distinct pattern of pneumothorax-associated fibroblastic lesions in a subset of cases of spontaneous pneumothorax. Whether this is related to the pathogenesis of the pneumothorax remains to be elucidated.