Intrathoracic schwannoma with Horner syndrome

Horner syndrome (HS) results from the interruption of the sympathetic pathway to the eye and face, and describes a collection of signs consisting of ipsilateral miosis, partial ptosis, anhidrosis and apparent enophthalmos. It is a clinical observation, and has a plethora of possible causes, ranging from the benign to the malignant. Involvement of the stellate ganglion on the sympathetic chain by malignant tumours of the lung is a well-recognised cause of HS. On the other hand, HS secondary to the excessive growth of a benign intrathoracic neoplasm is a very rare finding, with only a few cases described in the literature. Our patient was found to have such a diagnosis when he presented to medical attention with a 1-month history of cough that was associated with features of HS that he had ignored for the preceding 9 years.