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J Brachial Plex Peripher Nerve Inj 2011; 06(01): e48-e53
DOI: 10.1186/1749-7221-6-9
Case report
Kohyama et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

A giant plexiform schwannoma of the brachial plexus: case report[*]

Sho Kohyama
1   Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Tsukuba, Graduate school of Comprehensive Human Sciences, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
,
Yuki Hara
1   Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Tsukuba, Graduate school of Comprehensive Human Sciences, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
,
Yasumasa Nishiura
1   Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Tsukuba, Graduate school of Comprehensive Human Sciences, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
,
Tetsuya Hara
2   Showa University Hospital, 1-5-8, Hatanodai, Shinagawa, Tokyo 142-8666, Japan
,
Tanefumi Nakagawa
3   Senpo Tokyo Kowa Hospital, 3-10-11, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 100-8066, Japan
,
Naoyuki Ochiai
1   Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Tsukuba, Graduate school of Comprehensive Human Sciences, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
› Author Affiliations
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Further Information

Publication History

05 July 2011

01 November 2011

Publication Date:
23 September 2014 (online)

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Abstract

We report the case of a patient who noticed muscle weakness in his left arm 5 years earlier. On examination, a biloculate mass was observed in the left supraclavicular area, and Tinel’s sign caused paresthesia in his left arm. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a continuous, multinodular, plexiform tumor from the left C5 to C7 nerve root along the course of the brachial plexus to the left brachia. Tumor excision was attempted. The median and musculocutaneous nerves were extremely enlarged by the tumor, which was approximately 40 cm in length, and showed no response to electric stimulation. We resected a part of the musculocutaneous nerve for biopsy and performed latissimus dorsi muscle transposition in order to repair elbow flexion. Morphologically, the tumor consisted of typical Antoni A areas, and immunohistochemistry revealed a Schwann cell origin of the tumor cells moreover, there was no sign of axon differentiation in the tumor. Therefore, the final diagnosis of plexiform Schwannoma was confirmed.

Keywords

brachial plexus - giant - plexiform schwannoma

*This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


 

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