Neurologic Deficits after Surgical Enucleation of Schwannoma in the Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: Neurologic deficits after enucleation of schwannoma are not rare. To evaluate the neurologic deficits after surgical enucleation of schwannoma in the upper extremity, we performed a retrospective review of patients with surgically treated schwannoma over a 14-year period at a single institution. METHODS: Between March 2001 and September 2014, 103 patients underwent surgical enucleation for schwannomas; 36 patients of them had lesions in the upper extremity, and 2 out of 36 patients had multiple schwannomas. Each operation was performed by a single surgeon under loupe magnification. The postoperative neurological deficits were graded as major and minor in both immediate postoperatively and at last follow-up. The major deficit was defined as anesthesia or marked hypoesthesia, motor weakness of grade 3 or less and neuropathic pain. Minor deficit was defined as mild symptoms of mild hypoesthesia, paresthesia and motor weakness of grade 4 or more. RESULTS: There were 2 major (2 mixed nerve) and 12 minor (4 motor, 7 sensory, 1 mixed nerve) neurologic deficits after surgery. At the last follow-up, one major mixed neurologic deficit remained as major motor and minor sensory, and other major ones changed to mixed minor. And all minor deficits except 1 sensory deficit were recovered spontaneously. CONCLUSION: Even though high incidence rate of neurologic deficit after enucleation of schwannoma in the upper extremity (38.9%), about three fourths of them were recovered spontaneously. There were 3 permanent neurologic deficits, and one of them was major one. In some cases, surgeon cannot avoid to encounter a neurological deficit. So we recommend more delicate microscopic surgical procedure and preoperative planning and counseling. And surgery is indicated for only symptomatic lesions.

Is Routine Thromboprophylaxis Needed in Korean Patients Undergoing Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty?

This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and the natural course of venous thromboembolism (VTE) without thromboprophylaxis to ascertain whether routine thromboprophylaxis is necessary following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) in Korean patients. The medical records and multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) imaging of the consecutive 77 UKAs in 70 patients were reviewed. In all patients, MDCTs were undertaken preoperatively and at 1-week after surgery, and VTE symptoms were evaluated. At postoperative 6-months, follow-up MDCTs were undertaken in all patients in whom VTEs were newly detected after surgery. VTE lesions were newly detected in 18 (26%) of the 70 patients. However, none of the patients complained of VTE-related symptoms and MDCT demonstrated that all VTEs were small and involved limited portion without lower leg edema or pleuroparenchymal complication. At the 6-month follow up MDCT, all types of VTEs were shown to be completely resolved, regardless of their location. All of the VTE lesions maintained an asymptomatic status for 6-month after surgery. VTE following UKA in Korean patients who do not receive thromboprophylaxis seems to occur frequently, but all of the VTEs are clinically insignificant and all VTEs are spontaneously regressed. Routine thromboprophylaxis or thrombolytic treatment in Korean patients undergoing UKA may not be necessary.