We retrospectively investigated preoperative symptoms and postoperative complications in 29 patients who underwent surgery for schwannoma in extremities.
The average age was 45.8 years, and the average postoperative follow-up period was 6.1 months.
Twenty-two upper extremities and seven lower extremities were investigated. The nerves of tumor origin were as follows: median, six cases; radial, two cases; ulnar, two cases; digital nerve, four cases; sural nerve, one case; and other cutaneous nerves, 14 cases. Preoperatively, spontaneous pain was observed in 12 patients, tenderness in 12, and sensory deficits in five.
We performed enucleation under a microscope in 15 cases involving main nerves and simple resection using a surgical loupe in 14 cases involving cutaneous nerves.
Postoperatively, all patients experienced relief from spontaneous pain. At the last follow-up, 12 patients had sensory disturbances, of which eight had disturbances of the upper arm and forearm.
Microscopic enucleation was performed for schwannomas in major nerves; however, 41.4% of patients reported experiencing sensory disturbances at the last follow-up.
Sensory disturbance may occur after surgery when the preoperative symptoms are mild.
