Malignant mediastinal schwannoma in Recklinghausen's disease presenting with cardiac tamponade. About two cases.

The authors report two cases of Recklinghausen's dise admitted for cardiac tamponade. Two-dimensional echocardiography showed a pericardial tumour in addition to a compressive pericardial effusion. After pericardial drainage, the outcome was rapidly fatal. Histological examination confirmed the diag nosis of a malignant intrapericardial schwannoma. A review of the literature revealed the scarcity of mediastinal malignant s chwannoma. Associated with Von Reckinghausen's disease in 2 to 13% of cases , the prognosis is poor, The presentation of malignant mediastinal schwanno ma with cardiac tamponade remains very rare.