Published online Dec 26, 2018. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v6.i16.1202
Peer-review started: September 21, 2018
First decision: October 25, 2018
Revised: November 5, 2018
Accepted: November 7, 2018
Article in press: November 7, 2018
Published online: December 26, 2018
Processing time: 96 Days and 16.6 Hours
Schwannoma rarely originates from the recurrent laryngeal nerve, and there are few reports on schwannoma originating from the recurrent nerve in the mediastinum. Herein, we present an extremely rare case of schwannoma originating from the recurrent laryngeal nerve in the neck.
This is a case report of one patient diagnosed with thyroid cancer with schwannoma originating from the recurrent laryngeal nerve in the neck, which was incidentally found during a thyroidectomy, and a review of the literature.
Preoperative diagnostic examinations are of less use for detecting schwannoma originating from a recurrent laryngeal nerve in the neck in such small size, which may only incidentally be found during a thyroidectomy. Surgical excision with opening the capsule and shelling out the tumor is the treatment of choice. If the nerve is unable to be preserved, end-to-end recurrent laryngeal nerve anastomosis may be a simple and minimally invasive reconstruction procedure to improve phonation.
Core tip: Schwannoma originating from the left recurrent laryngeal nerve is very rare. This paper showed the clinical manifestation and management of such a case, and a systematic literature review was also performed. This case has very useful clinical practice meanings for residents and medical students, including physicians and surgeons. Surgical excision with opening the capsule and shelling out the tumor is the treatment of choice. If the nerve is not able to be preserved, end-to-end recurrent laryngeal nerve anastomosis may be a simple and minimally invasive reconstruction procedure to improve phonation.