A case of macrodactyly associated with neurofiborma of the median nerve, a congenital anomaly of the hand, affecting only one(left middle) finger is reported with a review of the literature. Macrodactyly which is also termed local gigantism, megalodactylism, megalodactylia, or macrodactylism in other literature, is a rare congenital malformation characterized by overgrowth of one or more fingers of hand. Macrodactyly associated with neurofibroma of the median nerve is especially rare. For this reason the following case is presented together with a review of the literature.
Adolescent ; Angiography ; Female ; Fingers/abnormalities* ; Fingers/radiography ; Fingers/surgery ; Human ; Korea ; Median Nerve*/surgery ; Neurofibroma/complications* ; Neurofibroma/pathology ; Neurofibroma/surgery ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms/complications* ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms/pathology ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms/surgery ; Radial Nerve/surgery

Schwannomatosis or neurilemmomatosis has been used to describe patients with multiple nonvestibular schwannomas with no other stigmata of neurofibromatosis type-2 (NF-2). In our case, schwannomatosis, multiple schwannomas were present in a 21-yr-old woman with no stigmata or family history of NF-1 or NF-2. She had no evidence of vestibular schwannoma or other intracranial tumors. Multiple peripheral tumors were found in the carotid space of the neck, and soft tissue of posterior shoulder, lower back, ankle and middle mediastinum. All of those tumors were completely limited to the right side of the body. All surgically removed tumor specimens in this patient proved to be schwannomas.
Treatment Outcome ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*surgery ; Neurilemmoma/*diagnosis/*surgery ; Humans ; Female ; Adult

Adult ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods

OBJECTIVETo further understand the anatomical basis of pelvic autonomic nerve preservation.

METHODSAutopsy of five adult male donated cadavers was performed. Meanwhile, ten videos of laparoscopic total mesorectal excision for male mid-low rectal cancer admitted from January to June 2012 were observed and studied. Anatomical features of pelvic autonomic nerve were compared between autopsy and laparoscopic appearance.

RESULTSAutopsy observations indicated that:the abdominal aortic plexus was situated upon the sides and front of the aorta, between the origins of the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries. The superior hypogastric plexus was a plexus of nerves situated on the the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta to sacrum; after incision of sacrum fascia was done cling to the sacrum; the pelvic splanchnic nerves and sacral splanchnic nerves were demonstrated; pelvic splanchnic nerves were splanchnic nerves that arised from ventral rami of the second, third, and often the fourth sacral nerves to provide preganglionic parasympathetic innervation to the hindgut;sacral splanchnic nerves providing postganglionic fibers, emerged from the sympathetic trunk, were then joined by the pelvic splanchnic nerves to form the inferior hypogastric plexuses which were placed lateral to the rectum.Laparoscopic observations showed that:abdominal aortic plexus and superior hypogastric plexus were unclear; at the level of sacroiliac joint, the hypogastric nerve began where the superior hypogastric plexus split into a right and left plexus, situated under the loose connective tissue, and continued inferiorly on its corresponding side of the body at the level of the 3rd sacral vertebra;left hypogastric nerve was closed to posterior of mesorectum;denonvilliers fascia was thin, reflective fascial structure, and easily removed together with mesorectum excision because of anterior loose structure.

CONCLUSIONSLigation of the inferior mesenteric artery at its origin is safe.Excessive dissection of the connective tissue covering the surface of the aorta should be avoided to protect the abdominal aortic plexus.Sharp dissection performed by pursuing the outer surface of the mesorectum maintaining the integrity of mesorectum, could avoid the superior hypogastric plexus and hypogastric nerves injury posteriorly, and protect the inferior hypogastric plexues while cutting lateral ligament laterally. The integrity of Denonvilliers fascia during anterior resection of rectum should be confirmed to avoid urogenitalis aparatus branches damage.

Adult ; Autonomic Nervous System ; anatomy & histology ; Autopsy ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Pelvis ; innervation ; Rectal Neoplasms ; surgery

Brain Neoplasms/pathology* ; Central Nervous System/pathology* ; Humans ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors/surgery*

The principle of total mesorectal excision (TME) standardizes the resection range and surgical dissection plane in radical rectal cancer surgery, reduces the local recurrence rate and improves the long-term survival. TME is the "gold standard" in radical rectal cancer surgery. However, with the progress of laparoscopic surgical instruments and techniques in recent years, further understanding of pelvic membrane anatomy and autonomic nervous system has been gained, which makes the surgical plane of TME more accurate and the autonomic nervous system better preserved. According to anatomical discovery and histological confirmation, there is a fascia between the mesorectal fascia and pelvic parietal fascia, called pre-hypogastric nerve sheath, in which autonomic nervous system courses, including the superior hypogastric plexus, left and right hypogastric nerves, pelvic plexus and the neurovascular bundles, from the abdominal to the pelvic cavity behind the mesorectal fascia. It fuses with the end of the mesorectum at the superior border of musculi puborectalis, and goes around the mesorectum to join with Denonvillier fascia. On the basis of anatomical studies and empirical anatomical observations, we put forward the concept of network preservation of the autonomic nervous system: the main trunk as well as the nerve branches of the pelvic autonomic nervous system and accompanying blood vessels should be preserved to ensure the integrity of the nerve reflex arc. The concept allows the radical resection of rectal cancer to follow the principle of TME, and meanwhile, protect patient's urination function and sexual function to the greatest extent, improving the quality of life of patients after surgery.
Autonomic Nervous System ; Humans ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Pelvis ; Quality of Life ; Rectal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Rectum

Adult ; Humans ; Rhabdoid Tumor/surgery* ; Teratoma/pathology* ; Medulloblastoma ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; Cerebellar Neoplasms ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology*

OBJECTIVETo study the use of a nerve ''bypass'' graft as a possible alternative to neurolysis or segmental resection with interposition grafting in the treatment of neuroma-in-continuity.

METHODSA sciatic nerve crush injury model was established in the Sprague-Dawley rat by compression with a straight hemostatic forceps. Epineurial windows were created proximal and distal to the injury site. An 8-mm segment of radial nerve was harvested and coaptated to the sciatic nerve at the epineurial window sites proximal and distal to the compressed segment (bypass group). A sciatic nerve crush injury without bypass served as a control. Nerve conduction studies were performed over an 8-week period. Sciatic nerves were then harvested and studied under transmission electron microscopy. Myelinated axon counts were obtained.

RESULTSNerve conduction velocity was significantly faster in the bypass group than in the control group at 8 weeks (63.57 m/s+/-5.83 m/s vs. 54.88 m/s+/-4.79 m/s, P<0.01). Myelinated axon counts in distal segments were found more in the experimental sciatic nerve than in the control sciatic nerve. Significant axonal growth was noted in the bypass nerve segment itself.

CONCLUSIONNerve bypass may serve to augment peripheral axonal growth while avoiding further loss of the native nerve.

Animals ; Male ; Neural Conduction ; Neuroma ; surgery ; Peripheral Nerves ; transplantation ; ultrastructure ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms ; surgery ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The authors report on a case of primary malignant melanoma of the 7th cervical spinal nerve root in a 45-year-old woman. Neuro-radiological features of this extra-dural mass were suggestive of a nerve sheath tumor. The lesion underwent total gross resection through the anterolateral approach. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Histopathological investigation confirmed malignant melanoma. There was no evidence of tumor recurrence or other melanotic lesions on regular follow-up examinations until the postoperative eighth month. When treating a common, benign-looking lesion of the cervical spinal nerve root, surgeons should be aware of the potential to encounter such a malignant tumor.
Cervical Vertebrae ; Female ; Human ; Melanoma/*pathology/surgery ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Sheath Tumors/*pathology/surgery ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms/*pathology/surgery ; Spinal Nerve Roots/*pathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate retrospectively the effectiveness of image-guided navigation techniques in the management of cerebral CMs.

METHODSBetween July 1997 and January 2001, 44 patients underwent image-guided resection of cerebral CMs. To counteract brain shift, a small silicon catheter was implanted as a guide in the case of deep-seated lesions (except in the case of brain stem CMs) and before excision of multiple lesions.

RESULTSA total of 27 men and 17 women with a mean age of 35 years underwent surgical procedures (5 patients had multiple lesions). The lesions were located in the frontal (n = 14), lobe temporal lobe (n = 12), parietal lobe (n = 6), cerebellum (n = 6), thalamus (n = 5), pons (n = 5), and orbital region (n = 1). Under the guidance of a StealthStation navigator, total removal of the lesions was achieved in all patients. Follow-up revealed marked improvement of preoperative symptoms in 26 patients and no additional deficits in 13 patients. Five patients suffered from additional neurological deficits, but two of them gradually improved during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONSWith the assistance of an image-guided surgical system, functional areas can be effectively avoided and surgical injury can be decreased. This system is well suited for accurate localization and safe resection of small, deep-seated CMs.

Adult ; Brain Neoplasms ; surgery ; Catheterization ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Female ; Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Neuronavigation ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Silicones