Abstract
RATIONALE: Intrathoracic paragangliomas are typically found within the intricate posterior mediastinal region adjacent to the vertebrae, often presenting with substantial volume. Surgical excision of such tumors presents formidable challenges and is conventionally performed via open surgical procedures. PATIENT CONCERNS: In this report, we present the case of a 53-year-old female patient who presented with the discovery of a left intrathoracic mass during a routine physical examination approximately 1 month prior. She complained of chest tightness and chest pain. DIAGNOSES: She complained of chest tightness and chest pain. Magnetic resonance imaging of the chest and brachial plexus revealed a mass adjacent to the left upper lung hilum, measuring approximately 78 × 63 × 72 mm. The initial suspicion leaned towards a benign lesion. Notably, there was slight compression of the left first thoracic nerve root and mild compression of the middle and lower trunks of the left brachial plexus. Based on the morphological features of the tumor and imaging findings, we suspected its benign nature. INTERVENTIONS: We opted for robot-assisted thoracic surgery to resect the mediastinal tumor. OUTCOMES: Subsequent postoperative pathology confirmed the diagnosis as a paraganglioma. The patient did not experience any notable complications post-surgery, and a 6-month follow-up revealed no signs of recurrence. LESSONS: The successful application of the robot-assisted thoracic surgery surgical technique underscores its efficacy in minimally invasive resection of sizable intrathoracic tumors situated in the posterior mediastinum.