title: Benign giant mediastinal schwannoma presenting as cardiac tamponade in a woman: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mediastinal schwannomas are typically benign and asymptomatic, and generally present no immediate risks. We encountered a rare case of a giant benign posterior mediastinal schwannoma, complicated by life-threatening cardiac tamponade.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the case of a 72-year-old Japanese woman, who presented with cardiogenic shock. Computed tomography of the chest revealed a posterior mediastinal mass 150 cm in diameter, with pericardial effusion. The cardiac tamponade was treated with prompt pericardial fluid drainage. A biopsy was taken from the mass, and after histological examination, it was diagnosed as a benign schwannoma, a well-encapsulated non-infiltrating tumor, originating from the intrathoracic vagus nerve. It was successfully excised, restoring normal cardiac function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our case suggests that giant mediastinal schwannomas, although generally benign and asymptomatic, should be excised upon discovery to prevent the development of life-threatening cardiopulmonary complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. sshiota@juntendo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Motoyasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiota
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiga
authors.forename: Haruhi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Mitsuaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sekiya
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Toshimasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uekusa
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi