Primary tracheal schwannoma: one case report and a literature review

We report a case of primary tracheal schwannoma causing symptoms of airway obstruction in a 51-year-old woman. There was no history of pulmonary disease. The patient had been coughing and suffering from progressive dyspnea for over 1 year. Medical treatment with bronchodilatators had no effect. Computerized tomography and bronchoscopy demonstrated a polypoid mass located inside the trachea's cervical segment, obstructing 50% of the lumen. A biopsy was not attempted because of the tumor's vascularity to avoid bleeding. Tracheal resection with primary anastomosis was performed. The diagnosis was confirmed with histological analysis. It revealed a benign neurogenic tumor of Schwann's cell origin. Schwannoma of the trachea is extremely rare. Only 23 cases have been reported previously. Most of them occur in adults (19/23, 82.6%) and are located in the lower trachea. They usually have a long natural history, causing symptoms only after they have attained a large size. The treatment of choice is surgical removal.