Case Report
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World J Surg Proced. Mar 28, 2013; 3(1): 1-3
Published online Mar 28, 2013. doi: 10.5412/wjsp.v3.i1.1
A rare case of malignant schwannoma of the brachial plexus
Chiara Benevello, Daniele Sommacale, Elisa Palladino, Adriana Bildea, Iolanda Tres, Enrico Volpin
Chiara Benevello, Department of Neurosurgery, Bicetre Hospital, Paris-Sud University, 75001 Paris, France
Daniele Sommacale, Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and Transplantation Surgery, Beaujon Hospital, Paris VII University, 92118 Clichy, France
Elisa Palladino, Department of General Surgery, Robert Debre Hospital, 51092 Reims, France
Adriana Bildea, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Le Mans Hospital, 72037 Le Mans, France
Iolanda Tres, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Villa d’Agri Hospital, Marsicovetere, 85050 Potenza, Italy
Enrico Volpin, Department of General Surgery, Le Mans Hospital, 72037 Le Mans, France
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Chiara Benevello, Department of Neurosurgery, Bicetre Hospital, Paris-Sud University, 7 rue la Feuillade, 75001 Paris, France. chiarab1979@libero.it
Telephone: +33-6-26211502 Fax: +39-1-19790160
Received: July 5, 2012
Revised: September 24, 2012
Accepted: November 17, 2012
Published online: March 28, 2013
Abstract

We report a rare case of malignant schwannoma of the brachial plexus treated during a surgical campaign aimed at the poorest communities in the Cuzco region of Peru. A Peruvian 40-year-old-female from a mountain community presented with a mass on the lateral side of her left supraclavicular space. No imaging tools were available during this surgical campaign and so a biopsy of the tumor was carried out. Histopathological examination revealed it to be a low grade malignant schwannoma. A nerve enucleation of the tumor was chosen as neither chemotherapy nor radiotherapy was available. The tumour was a firm mass 4 cm x 3 cm x 2 cm in size. After excision of the lesion the patient presented neurological sequelae (deltoid, bicep, and tricep weakness) but her condition improved over the next 3 years. We report this case of malignant schwannoma of the brachial plexus as its incidence is very rare (the reported incidence is 0.001%) and because of its challenging treatment in poor healthcare conditions.

Keywords: Schwannoma; Brachial plexus; Peripheral nerve sheath tumors; Surgical campaign; Peru