Tumors of the peripheral nervous system of any location
Tumors of the peripheral nervous system include neoplasms that arise from the auxiliary cells of the nervous tissue (so-called Schwann cells) and the connective tissue sheaths of the nerve trunks.
Common names for nerve tumors:
- schwannoma,
- neurinoma,
- neurofibroma.
There are benign and malignant variants.
Peripheral nerve tumors can arise from various nerves of the extremities or nerve trunks of the plexuses, often located superficially. The course is slow, and for a long time asymptomatic. Periodically, paresthesias may occur – “a feeling of crawling ants”, tingling, transient numbness in the area of the body for which the affected nerve is “responsible”.
Over time, weakness and atrophy of individual muscle groups develop, and pain may occur in the area corresponding to this nerve. Rapid growth of a nerve tumor is an indirect sign of the possible occurrence of a malignant tumor .
A distinctive feature of peripheral nerve sheath tumors arising from nerve trunks is their lateral displacement and lack of displacement along the length of the limb. Sometimes, when tapping or palpating a tumor associated with a nerve, there is a “referring” pain or paresthesia.
Treatment of nerve tumors
consists in removing the tumor. In this case, with a few exceptions, it turns out to be possible to remove the tumor while preserving the function of the nerve from which it emerges.
Sometimes there are multiple tumors of the nerve trunks, in such cases they speak of neurofibromatosis or Recklinghausen’s disease. A characteristic feature of this disease is the presence of a large number of neoplasms of various calibers in the skin, subcutaneous tissue and other tissues, usually with the presence of many coffee-colored pigment spots of various calibers. The disease is genetically determined.
Surgical treatment
Unlike single nerve tumors, indications for surgical treatment in Recklinghausen’s disease arise only with the development of severe pain syndrome or when vital organs are involved in the process, for example, when the spinal cord is compressed.
Conservative treatment
Such conservative tactics in Recklinghausen’s disease are associated with frequent recurrence of the removed tumor and the possibility of further occurrence of a malignant tumor in a recurrent tumor.
Author: Artem Koval
