Surgical treatment of multiple plexiform schwannomas arising from the superficial radial nerve: a case report

Abstract

Schwannoma, or neurilemmoma, is a benign neoplasm that arises from Schwann cells, which surround peripheral, cranial, and autonomic nerve sheaths. Schwannoma has been reported to occur mainly as a singular lesion of the sacral nerve or sciatic nerve in young adults. Plexiform schwannoma, a subtype of schwannoma, is a rare neoplasm known to account for 2% to 5% of total schwannomas. Schwannoma of the upper extremities is relatively rare and is reported to occur mostly in the ulnar nerve. We report, with a literature review, a case of 4.2-cm and 2.8-cm symptomatic multiple plexiform schwannomas that occurred in the superficial radial nerve and were treated without neurologic sequelae by surgical resection.