A massive multicystic parapharyngeal tumor: A case report

Cervical sympathetic chain schwannomas are uncommon benign tumors that usually develop in the retrostyloid compartment of the parapharyngeal space. Differentiating cervical sympathetic chain schwannomas from other lesions of the retrostyloid parapharyngeal space can be very difficult. We present a case of a major ingrowth of a cervical lesion, covering the larynx and obstructing the airway beyond the midline. The imaging revealed an extensive parapharyngeal lesion with significant cystic degeneration, which complicated the radiological diagnosis. Severe cystic degeneration of a cervical schwannoma is associated with fast expansion, and near-fully cystic schwannomas have been described in the literature.