Neurogenous Tumors of the Mediastinum: A Clinicopathologic Study Based on 50 Cases

¹ Department of Pathology and Surgery, Laboratory of Surgical Pathology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Fifty cases of neurogenous tumors of the mediastinum have been reviewed. All but three of the tumors were located in the posterior mediastinum. The most common neoplasm was the neurilemmoma and the most infrequent the malignant schwannoma. There was no example of malignant degeneration of neurofibromas. In neither of our two cases of malignant schwannoma did the patients have von Recklinghausen's disease. In the tumors of nerve sheath origin, the neuroblastomas have the worst prognosis and the immature ganglioneuroma had only a slightly worse prognosis than the mature variety. The treatment of this entire group, with the additional use of radiation in the case of neuroblastoma, is surgical extirpation.