title: Schwannoma of the cervical sympathetic chain. The Virginia experience.
abstract: We present 4 cases of schwannomas arising from the cervical sympathetic chain. These lesions are uncommon and most often present as an asymptomatic solitary neck mass. Preoperative diagnosis can be difficult, even with the aid of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and angiography. While a paraganglioma can often be ruled out, exact determination of the nerve of origin is frequently elusive until the time of surgery. Operative excision remains the treatment of choice, often requiring sacrifice of a portion of the sympathetic chain. Postoperative Horner's syndrome is common, but does not appear to have an adverse effect on the patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville 22906-0008, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hood
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Reibel
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006732:Horner Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery