Primary pigmented malignant schwannoma in the posterior mediastinum

This paper describes a rare case of primary pigmented malignant schwannoma arising from the sympathetic trunk in the posterior mediastinum. A 30-year- old woman underwent a thoracoscopic tumor extirpation. A primary pigmented malignant schwannoma was diagnosed histologically. The tumor presented fasc icles and whorls of pigmented plump spindle cells and positive immunoreacti vity to S-100 protein, vimentin, and HMB-45. Postoperative radiotherapy of the mediastinum was performed. Our case demonstrates the successful thoraco scopic resection and postoperative radiation treatment of a malignant schwa nnoma.