Neuroblastoma: a rare primary intrathoracic neurogenic tumor in adults

Mediastinal neuroblastomas, which are common malignancies of childhood, are extremely rare in adults. This article presents a case of mediastinal neuroblastoma in a 57-year-old man. To the authors' knowledge, this is only the second recorded case of such a tumor in an adult. The patient's clinical course is described and is compared with other cases (in children, except for one instance) cited in the literature. The authors discuss the early diagnosis and surgical management of these uncommon lesions, which tend to be quite extensive and rapidly fatal, and which should be suspected in adults who present with a mediastinal mass.