Cervicothoracic vagal neurilemoma: report of a case

We report herein the rare case of a 45-year-old man with a cervicomediastinal neurilemoma of the vagus nerve. The tumor was 160 x 40 x 35 mm in size and extended from the angle of the right mandible to the aortic arch. Despite this being the largest such tumor ever reported, the patient presented without any symptoms. Thus, although vagal neurilemoma is uncommon, it should nevertheless be included in the differential diagnosis of any asymptomatic mass along the vagus nerve. In the evaluation of such masses, magnetic resonance imaging can provide useful information regarding not only the location, but also the nature of the lesion.