CT features of schwannomas of the cervical sympathetic nerve correlated with surgical findings.

Objective To investigate the value of CT in the diagnosis of schwannomas of the cervical sympathetic nerve(SSN) corrleated with surgical findings.Method Sixteen consecutive patients with schwannomas of the cervical sympathetic nerve,proven by surgery and pathology,were referred to computed tomography axial scanning.The CT findings for the location of masses,size,margin,contrast enhancement,and the rules of displacement of the common carotid artery,internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein were evaluated.Also the locations,characteristics of the lesions and rules of displacement of the common carotid artery,internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein were described with surgical correlation.Results 10 SSNs were located at the level of the common carotid bifurcation with the common carotid artery abutting against and displacing the lateral periphery of the tumor,and 16 SSNs with the internal carotid artery abutting against and displacing the lateral periphery of the tumor.In 14 SSNs with enhanced CT,the internal jugular vein also abutted against and displaced the lateral periphery of the tumor.All the anatomical positional relationships among the common carotid artery,internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein with the cervical sympathetic nerve were proved by operation.Conclusion CT axial scan can accurately reflect the anatomical positional relationships among the common carotid artery,internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein with the cervical sympathetic nerve.