Thoracic nerve root hemangioblastoma: a rare cause of posterior mediastinal mass

Hemangioblastomas are benign tumors that occur sporadically or as part of von Hippel-Lindau disease. Occasionally, they have an extramedullary location along the nerve roots and, rarely, are purely extradural.

We report a rare case of a completely extradural large hemangioblastoma in a 32-year-old man presenting with radiculopathy and a posterior mediastinal mass. Screening revealed a similar tumor in the right cerebellar hemisphere. The patient underwent a right paramedian suboccipital craniotomy and total excision of the cerebellar tumor, followed by a left lateral thoracotomy and complete excision of the mediastinal lesion. The patient had an uneventful recovery.

Hemangioblastomas should be considered in the diagnosis of posterior mediastinal tumors in the presence of typical imaging features or with associated intra-axial tumors, so as to plan preoperative angiography and embolization.