A case is presented of acute spinal cord compression by a thoracic dumbbell spinal schwannoma in a young woman with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1). A successful outcome was achieved with total excision of the lesion and decompression of the spinal cord. Greater recognition of the reversibility of spinal cord compression in the developing world is necessary to reduce major permanent morbidity.
Adult ; Female ; Human ; Neurilemmoma - complications ; Neurilemmoma - surgery ; Spinal Cord Compression - etiology

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; complications ; Neurilemmoma ; complications ; Neurofibromatosis 2 ; complications

Malignant transformation of a neurilemmoma is an exceedingly rare event. We describe a case of intrathoracic ancient neurilemmoma undergoing a malignant change in a 39-yr-old man. The patient presented with right flank and chest pain for several months. Plain radiography and CT scan of the chest showed a soft tissue mass lesion at the extrapleural space with erosion of surrounding ribs at the right basal lung area. The excised mass was encapsulated and measured 4.5 x 3.5 x 2.3 cm. The cut surface showed grayish-white and glistening with a focal cystic change and hemorrhage. Necrosis was not seen. Histologically, the tumor showed the features of classic neurilemmoma composed of the Antoni type A and B areas with perivascular hyalinization. In addition, obviously histo-logically malignant foci manifested by presence of markedly increased cellularity with fascicular arrangement, active mitotic activity, hyperchromasia, and gradual loss of original neurilemmomatous feature were noted.
Adult ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Human ; Male ; Neurilemmoma/complications ; Neurilemmoma/pathology* ; Neurofibromatosis 1/complications ; Neurofibromatosis 1/pathology* ; Thoracic Neoplasms/etiology ; Thoracic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Tumor Markers, Biological

PURPOSE: Primary tumors of the retrorectal space in adults are very rare. Most of them are benign masses, but malignant masses are reported on occasion. This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological features of retrorectal tumors. METHODS: The medical records of fifteen patients who underwent surgical resection of a retrorectal tumor from March 2002 to April 2010 in our hospital were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Out of 15 patients, thirteen were females and two males. About 1.7 patients were diagnosed with retrorectal tumor annually in our hospital. The incidence is one per 1,500 surgeries performed under general anesthesia. An anterior approach was performed in eight patients and a posterior approach with excision of the coccyx in five patients. Combined approach was performed in two patients. Four patients (three in abdominal approach and one in combined approach) underwent laparoscopic resection. The mean size of tumors was 6.2 +/- 2.9 cm. Mature teratoma (four) and neurilemmoma (four) were the most common tumors. Except for one case of chondrosarcoma, fourteen tumors were confirmed to be of benign nature in histologic examination. Patients who underwent a transabdominal approach with laparoscopic surgery had no postoperative complication and had a tendency to experience earlier recovery than those with open surgery. CONCLUSION: Surgical resection of a retrorectal tumor is recommended to relieve pressure symptoms and to confirm the diagnosis. A laparoscopic approach may offer excellent visualization of the deep structures in the retrorectal space, reduce surgical trauma, and be helpful for early postoperative recovery.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Chondrosarcoma ; Coccyx ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Medical Records ; Neurilemmoma ; Postoperative Complications ; Teratoma

OBJECT: It is well known that infratentorial surgery is more difficult to approach to the lesion and may result in poorer outcome than supratentorial surgery. The prognostic factors and outcome were analyzed for one hundred forty-five consecutive patients who underwent surgical treatment for infratentorial tumor between 1989 and 1997. METHODS: Neurilemmoma was the most common tumor(41 cases), followed by astrocytoma(19 cases), hemangioblastoma(19 cases), medulloblastoma(18 cases), meningioma(17 cases) respectively. We studied the relationship between postoperative outcome known various factors retrospectively: age at surgery, pathology, duration of symptoms, tumor size, location of tumor, presence of hydrocephalus, and extent of resection. A statistical analysis of clinical characteristics was conducted to evaluate the significance of associations by student t-test. Surgical results were evaluated by Ojemann's method. RESULTS: Of 145 cases, excellent were in 25 patients, good in 60 patients, fair in 41 patients, poor in 9 patients, and dead in 10 patients. Large size of tumor(p<0.01) and presence of hydrocephalus(p<0.05) were factors that indicate poor outcome. Surgical results of tumors in the cerebellopontine angle(CPA) or clival area were poorer than those in cerebellum(p<0.05). Age, duration of symptom, pathology, and extent of resection did not influence postoperative outcome significantly. The most common postoperative complication was facial palsy(21 cases). The operative mortality was 6.9% and sepsis was the leading cause of death. CONCLUSION:Large size(p<0.01), presence of hydrocephalus(p<0.05), and location in CPA and clival region(p<0.05) were factors that indicate poor outcome after infratentorial tumor surgery.
Cause of Death ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infratentorial Neoplasms* ; Mortality ; Neurilemmoma ; Pathology ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis

Although schwannomas can arise from all types of nerves except the optic and olfactory nerves, those that arise from the ansa cervicalis is extremely rare, with only four cases having been reported worldwide. Because of their rarity, ansa cervicalis schwannomas are rarely considered in patients presenting with schwannomas of the neck region. In the present case, we did not consider ansa cervicalis as the nerve of origin preoperatively, but during the surgery, found a mass originating from the ansa cervicalis by identifying a contracture of the strap muscles. We thus address the need to consider ansa cervicalis as a possible original site in the evaluation and management of schwannomas of the neck region. In addition, surgeons should focus on the intraoperative findings to determine the nerve of origin and to anticipate postoperative complications, as well as performing appropriate preoperative imaging studies.
Contracture ; Humans ; Muscles ; Neck ; Neurilemmoma* ; Olfactory Nerve ; Postoperative Complications ; Submandibular Gland

A case is presented of painful tic convulsif caused by schwannoma in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA), with right trigeminal neuralgia and ipsilateral hemifacial spasm. Magnetic resonance images showed a 4 cm round mass displacing the 4th ventricle and distorting the brain stem in the right CPA. The schwannoma, which compressed the fifth and seventh cranial nerves directly, was subtotally removed by a suboccipital craniectomy. Postoperatively, the patient had a complete relief from the hemifacial spasm and marked improvement from trigeminal neuralgia. The painful tic convulsif in this case was probably produced by the tumor compressing and displacing the anterior cerebellar artery directly.
Case Report ; Cerebellar Neoplasms/complications* ; Cerebellopontine Angle* ; Female ; Hemifacial Spasm/etiology* ; Human ; Middle Age ; Neurilemmoma/complications* ; Trigeminal Neuralgia/etiology*

Summary A 36 years old patient with hoarseness for 2 years and got worsen for one month, electronic laryngoscopy showed a red smooth-faced wide based neoplasm on the posterior 2/3 of the right side of the vocal cords. The neoplasm was excised under suspension laryngoscope . The pathologic results showed:Cells were weave patterned, infiltrative growth, mitotic figure was rare. Immunohistochemical results showed CD34 (-), SMA (-), DM (-), S - 100 (+). The pathological diagnosis was plexiform schwannoma.
Adult ; Hoarseness ; etiology ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Laryngoscopes ; Laryngoscopy ; Neurilemmoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Syndrome ; Vocal Cords ; pathology

BACKGROUND: Surgical enucleation is the treatment of choice for esophageal submucosal tumors (SMTs) with symptomatic, larger, or ill-defined lesions. The enucleation of SMTs has traditionally been performed via thoracotomy. However, minimally invasive approaches have recently been introduced and successfully applied. In this study, we present our experiences with the thoracotomic and thoracoscopic approaches to treating SMTs. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 53 patients with SMTs who underwent surgical enucleation between August 1996 and July 2013. Demographic and clinical features, tumor-related factors, the surgical approach, and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 36 males (67.9%) and 17 females (32.1%); the mean age was 49.2+/-11.8 years (range, 16 to 79 years). Histology revealed leiomyoma in 51 patients, a gastrointestinal stromal tumor in one patient, and schwannoma in one patient. Eighteen patients (34.0%) were symptomatic. Fourteen patients underwent a planned thoracotomic enucleation. Of the 39 patients for whom a thoracoscopic approach was planned, six patients required conversion to thoracotomy because of overly small tumors or poor visualization in five patients and accidental mucosal injury in one patient. No mortality or major postoperative complications occurred. Compared to thoracotomy, the thoracoscopic approach had a slightly shorter operation time, but this difference was not statistically significant (120.0+/-45.6 minutes vs. 161.5+/-71.1 minutes, p=0.08). A significant difference was found in the length of the hospital stay (9.0+/-3.2 days vs. 16.5+/-5.4 days, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The thoracoscopic enucleation of submucosal esophageal tumors is safe and is associated with a shorter length of hospital stay compared to thoracotomic approaches.
Female ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Mortality ; Neurilemmoma ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies* ; Thoracoscopy* ; Thoracotomy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the diagnosis and treatment of facial nerve schwannomas with facial nerve function House-Brackmann grade (HB) ≤ grade II.

METHODSA retrospective study was conducted in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. We reviewed eight cases of facial nerve schwannomas with facial nerve function HB ≤ grade II, which were diagnosed and managed between Jan 1996 and March 2011.

RESULTSThe initial presenting symptoms of the eight patients were not facial paralysis. Eight patients were misdiagnosed and six had mistreatment histry. CT and(or) MRI results in all patients showed that the tumors originated from different part of the facial nerves. All patients received operation. Facial nerves were completely preserved in four patients because of easy separation of the tumors from the facial nerves in surgery, facial function was gradeII-III over 17 - 180 months' follow-up. The tumors were attached with the facial nerves in two patients with wide extension involving cochlea and labyrinth, therefore the tumors were removed together with the attached facial nerves, and the nerves were repaired by using the greater auricular nerves. Facial function was grade VI over 56 - 79 months' follow-up. One patient refused to sacrifice the facial nerve, wide decompression of facial nerve and tumor was undertaken, facial function was grade III over 8 months' follow-up. One chorda tympani neuroma was removed with the branch of the facial nerve, facial function was grade II over 8 months' follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSThe facial nerve schwannomas with facial nerve function HB ≤ grade II is difficult to diagnosis. The therapy strategy should depend on the patients' choice, position of the tumor and adherences of the tumor to facial nerve. Facial nerve could be preserved if the tumor is easy to be separated from the facial nerve during operation, if not, total remove the tumor and nerve repairment are indicted when invasion into the inner ear canal, cerebro pontine angle, cochlea or labyrinth. If patients refuse to sacrifice the facial nerve, facial nerve decompression and periodic follow-up are recommended.

Adult ; Diagnostic Errors ; Facial Nerve ; pathology ; Facial Paralysis ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurilemmoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult