Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the anterior mediastinum: A case report

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are rare neoplasms, accounting for only 5% of all malignant soft-tissue sarcomas. This is the case report of a 28-year-old male patient with a MPNST located in the anterior mediastinum, originating from the phrenic nerve. The patient presented with an abnormal shadow on chest radiography and a 10-cm mass in the right anterior mediastinum was identified on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The patient subsequently underwent surgical resection. The tumor originated from the right phrenic nerve and was tightly adherent to the middle and lower lobes of the right lung, the pericardium and the diaphragm. The tumor was completely resected, along with partial resection of the adherent tissues. The histological diagnosis was spindle cell sarcoma and the final diagnosis was MPNST of the anterior mediastinum, based on the characteristic microscopic appearance indicating the nervous origin of the tumor and on the intraoperative findings. The patient remains free of recurrence 1 year after surgery.