Minimally invasive approach in Esophageal Schwannoma: case report and literature review

Benign oesophageal neoplasms are sporadic and account for 2 % of all oesophageal tumours. Oesophageal Schwannoma occurs rarely and is a diagnostic challenge through imaging, with few reports. It affects patients between the fifth and sixth decades of life, and one of the most frequent symptoms is dysphagia. Schwannoma originates in the Schwann cells of the neural plexus within the gastrointestinal tract and is most often located in the upper and middle oesophagus. The immunohistochemical profile gives the definitive diagnosis and is mainly characterised by a strong positivity for the S-100 protein, vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein. The prognosis of patients with schwannomas is excellent. The therapeutic approach to schwannomas depends mainly on the size of the tumour and the presence of symptoms. Through minimally invasive surgery, thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approaches, good results can be obtained with few complications. Due to its reproducibility, more and more institutions are using this approach to manage these neoplasms. We present the case of a 42-year-old man successfully treated for oesophageal Schwannoma by combining thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery; during the postoperative period, it was possible to control the complications, and today, the patient presents a favourable evolution with complete remission of symptoms and no alteration in the quality of life.