title: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour: a rare tumour and an unusual intrapericardial presentation.
abstract: A 62-year-old man presented with superior vena caval obstruction and was found to have a tumour in the pericardial cavity. This was diagnosed as a Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumour (MPNST), an uncommon sarcoma that is exceedingly rare in this location. Stigmata of von Recklinghausen's disease were absent. Antibodies to a panel of immunoreactive markers were utilised to establish the diagnosis and exclude other tumours. The utility of such an approach in this kind of situation is briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Freeman Hospital, High Heaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: U U
authors.initials: UU
authors.lastname: Nkere
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Walter
mesh_terms: D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010496:Pericardium; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000209:etiology