[Mediastinal neurinoma originating from the intrathoracic vagal nerve: report of a case].

A 37-year-old male consulted our hospital because of an abnormal shadow pointed out on a chest X-ray film during a medical check-up. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic imaging resonance (MRI) showed that the tumor was located in the mediastinum in contact with the aorta and pulmonary artery. Under the diagnosis of benign mediastinal tumor, video-assisted thoracic surgery was performed. The tumor was about 6 cm in diameter and originated from the left vagal nerve. The vagal nerve was partially involved and had to be resected. He experienced no post-operative complications, and was discharged on the 11th postoperative day. Whether or not to resect the vagal nerve is the most important issue, and hoarseness is the most common complication even in distal cases. It is suggestive that a vagal nerve resection is appropriate in a distal side of the recurrent nerve because post-operative complications are not so severe and local recurrence must be prevented. Recurrent nerve palsy must be cared even in cases of distal resection