• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.452-456
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• 2010

Purpose: The schwannoma is a benign peripheral nerve tumor arising from the Schwann cell of the nerve sheath. Only 2-8% of schwannomas arise in the hand and wrist. Misdiagnosis is frequent such as ganglion and neurofibroma. This article documents and clarifies the clinical features of schwannomas arising in the hand and wrist, and emphasizes importance of differential diagnosis and meticulous surgical extirpation under magnification. Methods: The author reviewed clinical features of 15 patients with pathologic final diagnosis of schwannoma developed in hand and wrist during the last 12 years from 1998 through 2009. The review included the sex, age of onset, duration, preoperative diagnosis, location, involved nerve, preoperative symptoms and. Postoperative sequelae after surgical extirpation of the lesion with magnification, or without magnification of the surgical fields. Results: The chief complaints were slow growing firm mass in all patients, and followed by pain in 40%, and paresthesia in 40% respectively. The lesions were developed solitarily in 14 patients (93%). The postoperative pathologic diagnosis and preoperative diagnosis were coincided with only in 6 patients (40%). Other preoperative diagnosis were soft tissue tumor in 4 patient (26.6%), and ganglion in 3 patients (20%), and neurofibroma in 2 patients (13%). In all patients who were undergone surgical excision under the fields of magnification, all symptoms were subsided without any sequelae. Meanwhile muscle weakness, paresthesia, hypoesthesia and /or accidental nerve resection developed after surgical excision with naked eye. Conclusion: Schwannoma in hand most commonly appears as a slow growing solitary mass with pain or paresthesia. The chance of preoperative misdiagnosis was 60% in this series. To provide good prognosis and less sequelae, careful and elaborate diagnostic efforts and meticulous surgical excision under the magnification are necessary in management of schwannoma.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.278-281
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• 2021

Facial palsy (FP) is a functional disorder of the facial nerve involving paralysis of the mimic muscles. According to the principle "time is muscle," early surgical treatment is tremendously important for preserving the mimic musculature if there are no signs of nerve function recovery. In a 49-year-old female patient, even 19 months after onset of FP, successful neurotization was still possible by a V-to-VII nerve transfer and cross-face nerve grafting. Our patient suffered from complete FP after vestibular schwannoma surgery. With continuous application of electrostimulation (ES) therapy, the patient was able to bridge the period between the first onset of FP and neurotization surgery. The significance of ES for mimic musculature preservation in FP patients has not yet been fully clarified. More attention should be paid to this form of therapy in order to preserve the facial musculature, and its benefits should be evaluated in further prospective clinical studies.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.105-109
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• 2005

This journal reports three cases diagnosed with schwannomatosis in which no clinical symptoms of type 2 neurofibromatosis. The chief complain was pain. In adolescence and adult group, all masses were found. The locations were brachial plexus, popliteal fossa and hand. No hearing impairment, vertigo, tinnitus and visual disturbance was observed in any of the case. Family history was negative. In all cases, there was no evidence of vestibular schwannoma on cranial MRI imaging study. In all cases, Tinel sign was positive. Pathologic diagnosis was positive for schwannoma. Further study and case collection is needed to idenity the clinical manifestation, clinical course and genetic characteristic of schwannomatosis.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.24-27
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• 2009

Backgrounds and Objectives : Most patients with neck schwannomas are asymptomatic. Surgical management of neck schwannomas could cause various complications. The aim of this study is to evaluate the necessity of surgical management in all of the neck schwannoma patients. Material and Methods : Thirty-four patients diagnosed and undergone surgical management as neck schwannomas and 30 patients diagnosed and observed closely by OPD base from 1996 to 2005 were included. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Results : In surgical management group, mean age was 39.3 years and mean size of tumors was 4.4cm. Twenty-five patients had their tumors at parapharyngeal space, 2 at anterior neck and 7 at lateral neck. Nerves of origin were vagus nerve in 12 patients, cervical sympathetic chain in 11. Presenting symptoms were neck mass in 22 patients and no symptom in 9. On the other hand, in close observation group, mean age was 47.1 years and mean size of tumor was 3.7cm. Seventeen patients had their tumors at parapharyngeal space, 5 at anterior neck and 8 at lateral neck. Presenting symptoms were neck mass in 13 patients and no symptom in 13. There were no patients with neurologic complications. Mean follow-up duration was 38.2 months and there were only 2 patients whose size of tumors was increased and no patients who had newly emerged symptoms. Conclusion : Neck schwannomas grows slowly, has little chance of malignant transformation, but can complicate serious problems after surgical management. Therefore close observation could be considered in many asymptomatic patients.