• Tumor
• extremities
• functional outcomes
• nerve reconstructions
• systematic review

• complications
• diagnostic imaging
• intraneural fibrosis
• long-term follow-up
• recurrence factors
• recurrent schwannoma
• surgical difficulties
• surgical excision
• ulnar nerve

• deficit enucleation functionality resection review

• Humans
• Neurilemmoma/surgery
• Neurilemmoma/pathology
• Upper Extremity/surgery
• Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms/surgery
• Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms/pathology
• Treatment Outcome
• Preoperative Care/methods

• antoni a and antoni b areas
• benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor
• cerebellopontine angle tumours
• painless nodule
• peripheral schwannoma

• colon
• gastrointestinal
• peripheral nerve sheath tumor
• schwannoma
• sigmoid

• Case report
• Intracapsular excision
• Plexiform schwannomas
• Sciatic nerve

• diagnosis
• entrapment
• finger
• neuropathy
• ultrasonography

• MOST 106-2314-B-002-180-MY3 Ministry of Science and Technology
• 109-2314-B-002-114-MY3 Ministry of Science and Technology
• 109-2314-B-002-127 Ministry of Science and Technology

• cd117
• gastric schwannoma
• gfap
• gist
• neurofibromatosis ii
• s-100

• benign
• diagnosis
• giant cell tumor
• hand masses
• soft tissue tumors
• tumor

• Giant Cell Tumor of Tendon Sheath/diagnosis
• Giant Cell Tumor of Tendon Sheath/epidemiology
• Giant Cell Tumor of Tendon Sheath/surgery
• Hand/pathology
• Hand/surgery
• Humans
• Retrospective Studies
• Soft Tissue Neoplasms/epidemiology
• Soft Tissue Neoplasms/surgery

• Orbital schwannoma
• neurilemomas
• orbital tumor

• Biopsy
• Diplopia
• Eye Neoplasms
• Humans
• Neurilemmoma/diagnostic imaging
• Neurilemmoma/surgery
• Orbital Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging
• Orbital Neoplasms/surgery

Schwannoma is a benign, encapsulated and slowly growing tumor originating from Schwann cells and is rarely seen in the peripheral nerve system. Typical symptoms are soreness, radiating pain and sensory loss combined with a soft tissue mass.

To evaluate pre- and postoperative symptoms in patients operated for schwannomas in the extremities and investigate the rate of malignant transformation.

In this single center retrospective study design, all patients who had surgery for a benign schwannoma in the extremities from May 1997 to January 2018 were included. The location of the tumor in the extremities was divided into five groups; forearm, arm, shoulder, thigh and leg including foot. The locations of the tumor in the nerves were also categorized as either; proximal, distal, minor or major nerve. During the pre- and postoperative clinical evaluation, symptoms were classified as paresthesia, local pain, radiating pain, swelling, impairment of mobility/strength and asymptomatic tumors that were found incidentally (with magnetic resonance imaging). The patients were evaluated after surgery using the following categories: Asymptomatic or symptomatic patients (radiating and/or local pain) and those with complications. The follow up period was from the time of surgery until last examination of the particular physician. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent prognostic factors for postoperative significant symptoms at follow-up.

We identified 858 cases from the institutional pathology register. We excluded cases with duplicate diagnoses (n = 407), pathology not including schwannomas (n = 157), lesions involving the torso, spine and neck (n = 150) leaving 144 patients for further analysis. In this group 99 patients underwent surgery and there were five complications recorded: 2 infections (treated with antibiotics) and 3 nerve palsies (2 involving the radial nerve and one involving the median nerve) that recovered spontaneously. At the end of follow-up, 1.4 mo (range 0.5-76) postoperatively, we recorded a post-operative decrease in clinical symptoms: Local pain 76% (6/25), radiating pain 97% (2/45), swelling 20% (8/10). Symptoms of paresthesia increased by 2.8% (37/36) and there was no change in motor weakness before and after surgery 1% (1/1). Multivariate analysis showed that tumors located within minor nerves had a significantly higher prevalence of postoperative symptoms compared with tumors in major nerves (odds ratio: 2.63; confidence intervals: 1.22-6.42, P = 0.029). One patient with schwannoma diagnosed by needle biopsy was diagnosed to have malignant transformation diagnosed in the surgically removed tumor. No local recurrences were reported.

Surgery of schwannomas can be conducted with low risk of postoperative complications, acceptable decrease in clinical symptoms and risk of malignant transformation is low.

• Schwannoma
• Extremities
• Surgery
• Removal
• Symptoms
• Outcome

Sciatica pain is a typical symptom of lumbar disc herniation (LDH), but some neurogenic and malignant tumours surrounding the sciatic nerve can also cause similar symptoms. These tumours are often misdiagnosed or even mistreated as LDH in clinical practice.

In our clinical practice, we found two patients with malignant tumours who were misdiagnosed with LDH. One patient complained of pain and numbness in the right lower limb. The primary diagnosis was LDH, and the patient underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion surgery. After the operation, the symptoms were not alleviated. Then, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involving the soft tissue and the sciatic nerve was identified. Another patient who manifested with radiating pain in the right lower limb was diagnosed with LDH at Chengde Central Hospital. He received regular conservative treatment for approximately 6 months, but his symptoms were not relieved, and then he was referred to our hospital. A malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (MPNST) of the sciatic nerve was diagnosed, and he received cisplatin (DDP) chemohyperthermia.

Descriptions of tumour lesions involving the sciatic nerve and misdiagnosed as LDH in the literature are rare. In the reported literature, 7 patients were misdiagnosed with LDH, and all patients presented with sciatica. Among them, 4 patients only received surgical treatment, 1 patient only underwent neurolysis, and 2 patients received both surgical and chemotherapy treatment. Their low incidence and similar clinical manifestations to LDH make malignant tumours involving the sciatic nerve easy to misdiagnose. When the clinical symptoms and signs are inconsistent with the imaging findings, we need to be aware of non-discogenic sciatica, including tumours involving the sciatic nerve. Furthermore, tumours that grow near the exit of the sciatic notch may be misdiagnosed because of their deeper location and because they are covered with gluteal muscles. Sometimes sciatica caused by sciatic nerve tumours is only distal, without any radicular distribution. This pain is more severe than that caused by LDH, and this pain is not related to the position of the lumbar spine. Thus, it is beneficial to perform a detailed physical examination of the sciatic nerve to avoid this kind of misdiagnosis.

• Lumber disc herniation
• Misdiagnosis
• Sciatic nerve
• Tumour

• Case Report
• India
• Nerve Sheath Neoplasms
• Neurilemmoma
• Obturator Nerves
• Schwannoma

• Aged
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Humans
• Male
• Neurilemmoma/diagnostic imaging
• Neurilemmoma/surgery
• Obturator Nerve
• Pelvis
• Radiography

• Axilla
• Breast
• MRI
• Mammography
• Schwannoma
• Ultrasound

• Nerve
• Neurofibromatosis
• Schwannoma
• Sural
• Tumour

Schwannoma is a rare benign, encapsulated tumor of the nerve sheath under the tongue, mostly occurring as solitary tumors with classical histological pattern and several common morphological variants. To our knowledge, multiple schwannomas with pseudoglandular element synchronously occurring under the tongue are rare; we report herein the first such case.

A 53-year-old man had first noticed an isolated asymptomatic mass under the tongue, and as the mass grew, the tongue was elevated. Physical examination showed multiple oval neoplasms, and the overlying mucosa was normal. Computed tomography showed three low-density oval neoplasms under the tongue, which were cystic-solid with unclear boundary. The patient has no cutaneous tumors, VIII nerve tumors, or lens opacities and no history of neurofibromatosis 2 or confirmed schwannomatosis in any first-degree relative. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no evidence of vestibular schwannoma. The preoperative diagnosis was mucoepidermoid carcinoma. During hospitalization, all neoplasms were completely excised by surgeons through an intraoral approach under general anesthesia. The diagnosis of the multiple schwannomas with pseudoglandular element was made by histopathology after surgery. At the 15-mo follow-up visit, the patient had no sign of recurrence or development of other peripheral nerve tumors.

Although rare, multiple schwannomas with pseudoglandular element do exist in patients presenting with masses under the tongue. Oral surgeons should be aware of the existence of multiple schwannomas with pseudoglandular element when considering masses under the tongue due to the different prognosis between multiple schwannomas with pseudoglandular element and mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

• Case report
• Multiple schwannomas
• Pseudoglandular variant
• Tongue
• Mucoepidermoid carcinoma

Schwannomas and neurofibromas are rare benign tumors originating from the peripheral nerve sheath. Tumors in neurofibromatosis are mostly neurofibromas and often appear in the soft tissue of peripheral nerves. In this report, a patient presented with two large adjacent soft tissue tumors in the right wrist and distal forearm which originated from a common nerve. A schwannoma had formed beside a neurofibroma from the ulnar nerve and induced numbness and paresthesia in the little and ring fingers. Although the patient had café au lait spots on the skin, neurofibromatosis was not suspected due to lack of symptoms. The patient was referred to the current research clinic suffering from two soft tissue masses in the wrist and ulnar nerve dysfunction. In neurofibromatosis patients, two tumors of a different nature originating from a common nerve close together have rarely been described in the literature. The patient was treated by en bloc excision of the mass while protecting the nerve fascicles. The follow-up results indicated no neurological symptoms and complete restoration of ulnar nerve function.

• neurofibroma
• neurofibromatosis
• schwannoma

Schwannomas are tumors of the peripheral nervous system, consisting of different cell types. These include tumorigenic Schwann cells, axons, macrophages, T cells, fibroblasts, blood vessels, and an extracellular matrix. All cell types involved constitute an intricate “tumor microenvironment” and play relevant roles in the development and progression of schwannomas. Although Nf2 tumor suppressor gene-deficient Schwann cells are the primary tumorigenic element and principle focus of current research efforts, evidence is accumulating regarding the contributory roles of other cell types in schwannoma pathology. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of intra- and intercellular mechanisms contributing to schwannoma formation.

“Genes load the gun, environment pulls the trigger.”

-George A. Bray

Sciatica is a common musculoskeletal complaint, but it is rarely attributed to peripheral nerve tumors. Until now, there is little literature reporting sciatica caused by a sciatic schwannoma at the proximal thigh. A 27-year-old male had left posterior proximal thigh pain for more than two years. Compression of the tender point caused numbness radiating to his low back, buttock and leg regions. Due to poor response to conservative treatments, he was referred for an ultrasound examination, which revealed a solid mass on the track of the sciatic nerve. The subsequent magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-defined tumor sized 2.3 × 1.8 × 2.3 cm beside the sciatic nerve, and a schwannoma was confirmed by postsurgical pathology. In conclusion, ultrasound is helpful in differentiating between the various causes of posterior thigh pain, which, in this case, facilitated detection of a sciatic nerve schwannoma and subsequent surgical removal.

• hip
• schwannomas
• sciatic nerve
• ultrasound

• Microsurgery
• Non-discogenic Sciatica
• Schwannoma
• Sciatic nerve

Objective  To analyze the epidemiological profile and evolution of 20 patients diagnosed with upper- and lower-limb schwannomas.

Methods  A group of patients was defined for a retrospective evaluation comprising the period between February 2002 and June 2018, in which we studied and evaluated 20 medical records of patients undergoing surgery due to schwannoma; the diagnosis was confirmed by an anatomopathological examination.

Results  Male and female patients were equally affected. The average age was 50.85 years, ranging from 12 to 77 years. There was a predominance of the upper limb and of the flexor face. The most affected nerve was the ulnar nerve. In total, 6 (30%) patients had transient postoperative complications. No cases of tumor recurrence were identified.

Conclusion  Schwannoma is a rare and difficult-to-diagnose lesion. It should always be considered as a hypothesis when facing a soft-tissue tumor affecting the limbs. The Tinel sign should be regarded, given its higher correlation with complications. The patients should be informed of the possible postoperative complications, which are frequent but usually transient.

• neoplasia
• neurilemmoma
• peripheral nerves

Schwannomas are common, well-encapsulated benign tumors of the peripheral nerves. They rarely emerge from the median nerve in the forearm. Here we report a case of an unusual schwannoma measuring 3 × 4 × 3 cm originating from the median nerve in the proximal forearm of a 49-year-old man. The mass was painless, but Tinel’s sign was positive. Ultrasonography showed a solid, hypoechoic mass with central cystic areas in the flexor muscle group in the left forearm. Magnetic resonance imaging with contrast enhancement in T1 sequences revealed that it originated from the median nerve. Surgical resection was performed by separating the nerve fibers from the tumor without any complications. Histological examination confirmed it as a schwannoma.

• benign
• enucleation
• forearm
• median nerve
• microsurgery
• neurilemmoma
• peripheral nervous tumor
• schwannoma

• Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour
• Neurofibroma
• Peripheral nervous system tumours
• Schwannoma
• Tumor maligno de la vaina del nervio periférico
• Tumores del sistema nervioso periférico

• musculoskeletal oncology
• intra-articular
• tumor
• review
• orthopaedics

•

Although Axillary Schwannoma is a rare condition, physicians should recognize it as a part of their differential diagnosis of an axillary swelling.

Schwannoma is a benign encapsulated tumor of the peripheral nervous system which is mainly located in the head and neck. However, axillary Schwannoma is rare. In this article, the author presents an interesting case of a right axillary Schwannoma, where the diagnosis was preoperatively made on a Tru-cut biopsy.

We report a case of an enlarged right axillary swelling in a sixty-year-old male. Proper radiologic workup was performed. Furthermore, a Tru-cut biopsy was taken which revealed evidence of schwannoma. Having such symptomatic lesion, operative excision was done with the use of a nerve stimulator, which aided in preserving nerve function.

With such non-specific presentation, axillary Schwannoma may be easily missed and mismanaged. A Tru-cut biopsy may provide great help in expert hands, aiding operative planning; likewise in the case we are presenting. Furthermore, utilizing an intraoperative nerve stimulator will facilitate nerve preservation.

• Axillary schwannoma
• Case report
• Preoperative diagnosis
• Schwannoma
• Tru-cut biopsy

The aim of this study was to describe the strategies adopted in this institution to diagnose and treat patients with benign tumors affecting the median nerve.

A retrospective chart review study of all patients operated on between 2010 and 2015. Histology, symptoms, complementary exams, surgical techniques performed, and demographic characteristics were analyzed.

Fifty-four patients were included in the study. There were three neurofibromas, six schwannomas, 15 lipofibromatous hamartomas, three hemangiomas, 12 lipomas, one benign fibrohistiocytoma, and 14 synovial cysts. Complete tumoral resection was performed in 32 cases, partial resection in five, segmented nerve resection in one, nerve decompression in eight, and amputation for macrodactyly in eight.

The most important recommendations on treating benign tumors of the median nerve are related to the clinical symptoms, tumoral growth, and tumoral nature. The surgical approach resulted in good function for 60% of the patients. However, lipofibromatous hamartomas, hemangiomas, and neurofibromas were associated with preoperative functional deficit. It may be inferred that the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors should be performed earlier.

• Median nerve
• Peripheral nervous system neoplasms
• Soft tissue neoplasms

• British Sarcoma Group

• Hand
• Neurofibroma
• Schwannoma
• Tumour