What is a neurogenic tumour? A neurogenic tumour is a tumour that grows along the cells that make up the nervous system. They can be subdivided into three groups by their location and involvement of peripheral nerves or sympathetic chain.
Peripheral nerve sheath tumours
Sympathetic ganglia tumours
Paragangliomas
They are most commonly found in the mediastinum, which is the area between the lungs. Theses are common tumours to occur in children, however only around 1-2% of the tumours are cancerous.
Common symptoms that are associated with a neurogenic tumour include:
A cough
Problems with breathing
Chest pain
Night sweats
Unexplained weight loss
Swollen or painful lymph nodes
Changes in bowel and bladder function
For this surgery, there were three different surgeons, from three different specialities present. Mr Nick Thomas, from London Neurosurgery Partnership; as the tumour lies along the nervous system it is essential that a neurosurgeon is present. Mr Deshpande, from London Cardiac and Vascular Associates; present as the cardiothoracic specialist due to the location of the tumour. Mr Dominic Valenti; he was there to assist with vascular access to the tumour and there was no excessive bleeding and that none of the major blood vessels were damaged.
The patient’s surgery was a great success thanks to these three teams working together.