Abstract
Neurilemoma is benign never-sheath tumor which has been described as painless mass and is usually discovered incidentally. It is the most common tumor of peripheral nerve origin and may arise in any nerve where Schwann cells occur. There are few domestic reports which were clinically evaluated in tens of cases of neurilemoma so far. We evaluated on the 56 cases of neurilemoma confined to the trunk and extremities, in the aspect of clinical characteristics, radiology, pathology, EMG, surgical treatment and postoperative results, who were surgically treated at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of Seoul National University from 1984 to 1994. Among 56 patients, male were 29 and female were 27, and there was no sexual difference. The average age at surgical intervention was 46.4 years (16–83yrs) and 46.4% of patients were in the age of fourties and fifties. The anatomical locations of the tumors were as followed: upper extremities in 22(39%) cases, neck and supraclavicular area in 15(27%) cases, sacrum and lower extremities in 14(25%) cases and trunk in 5(9%) cases. Symptoms were palpable mass in 55 cases, local tenderness in 14, radiating pain in 11, pain in 10, paresthesia in 11, motor weakness in 2 cases. The average follow up period was 19.1 months(13–56 month). Median nerve was involved most frequently(14%), then ulnar nerve(11%). There was no cases which occurred in multiplicity or associated with neurofibromatosis. Marginal excision was done in 51 cases(91%), incisional biopsy only in 4 cases(7%), wide excision in 1 case. The size of the tumors in the longest axis was smaller than 2cm in 9 cases, between 2 and 4cm in 31 cases, between 4 and 6cm in 13 cases and more than 6cm in 3 cases. Malignant change or recurrence was not found in all cases.