Accurate nomenclature for forefoot nerve entrapment: a historical perspective.

Current medical nomenclature is often based on the early history of the condition, when the true etiology of the disease or condition was not known. Sadly, this incorrect terminology can become inextricably woven into the lexicon of mainstream medicine. More important, when this is the case, the terminology itself can become integrated into current clinical decision making and ultimately into surgical intervention for the condition. "Morton's neuroma" is perhaps the most striking example of this nomenclature problem in foot and ankle surgery. We aimed to delineate the historical impetus for the terminology still being used today for this condition and to suggest appropriate terminology based on our current understanding of its pathogenesis. We concluded that this symptom complex should be given the diagnosis of nerve compression and be further distinguished by naming the involved nerve, such as compression of the interdigital nerve to the third web space or compression of the third common plantar digital nerve. Although the nomenclature becomes longer, the pathogenesis is correct, and treatment decisions can be made accordingly.

Neuroma paciniano / Paccinian neuroma

El neuroma paciniano es una lesión reactiva infrecuente de observar, producida por la hipertrofia o hiperplasia de los corpúsculos de Vater Pacini. Se presenta en adultos, con predominio en el sexo femenino, localizado con mayor frecuencia en los dedos de las manos, principalmente índice y medio y más raramente en palmas. El motivo de consulta es el dolor local, que es de intensidad variable y suele existir un antecedente de trauma previo en la zona afectada. Por lo general, se puede detectar en esa área una pequeña tumoración profunda. Se estudia una paciente con una lesión localizada en el dedo índice derecho, con antecedente. La extirpación quirúrgica fue resolutiva. La revisión bibliográfica lo revela como una afectación infrecuente, que debe ser considerada en el diagnóstico diferencial del dolor digital de causa desconocida (AU)

Oral spindle cell neoplasms: a review of 307 cases.

The infrequent exposure of pathologists to soft tissue spindle cell neoplasms coupled with overlapping histologic patterns can often make diagnosis challenging. We reviewed all nonodontogenic spindle cell neoplasms seen between 1982 and 2002 (86,162 total accessions). Diagnoses were reclassified according to current standards supplemented with immunohistochemistry. Of the 307 neoplasms reviewed (0.36% of total accessions), neural tumors were the most common benign entities, accounting for 21% of total cases. Kaposi's sarcoma was the most common malignancy, accounting for 67% of all cases. Diagnoses were revised for 57 cases. Schwannoma and neurofibroma were most commonly revised to palisaded encapsulated neuroma. There were 8 myofibromas and 1 inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. There were no oral leiomyomas; that is, all 4 originally reported cases were reclassified as myofibroma, palisaded encapsulated neuroma, and solitary fibrous tumor. With the exception of Kaposi's sarcoma, oral soft tissue sarcomas were rare; most benign lesions were neural in origin. The relatively high prevalence of some tumors, such as myofibroma, likely reflects the use of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of spindle cell tumors.

Granular cell traumatic neuroma: a lesion occurring in mastectomy scars.

BACKGROUND: Granular cell changes can be observed in a variety of benign and malignant tumors, and are seen more commonly in granular cell tumors, which in about 5% of cases develop in the breast. Granular cells also have been observed in sites of previous trauma, such as surgery, and are found to be inflammatory reactions of histiocytic origin. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated, morphologically and immunohistochemically, 2 granular cell lesions occurring in mastectomy scars after surgery for carcinoma. Both lesions were composed of strands and nests of large granular cells, haphazardly set in a background of fibrous tissue, with sparse inflammatory infiltrates. Several tortuous hypertrophic nerve bundles were also embedded in the fibrous tissue. A few of these nerve bundles showed degenerative changes and contained granular cells. Immunohistochemically, granular cells were positive for S100 protein, neuron-specific enolase, vimentin, and CD68 antigen. CONCLUSIONS: We consider these proliferative lesions of peripheral nerves to have the features of both granular cell tumor and traumatic neuroma. These cases indicate that traumatic neuroma can undergo extensive granular cell changes and constitute a previously unrecognized entity, which we provisionally label granular cell traumatic neuroma. Granular cell traumatic neuroma has to be taken into consideration when evaluating lesions occurring at mastectomy scars and should be differentiated from malignant tumors with granular cells, such as apocrine carcinoma and alveolar soft part sarcoma.

Joplin's neuroma or compression neuropathy of the plantar proper digital nerve to the hallux: clinicopathologic study of three cases.

Both nonsurgical and surgical treatment of compressive and/or entrapment neuropathy of the plantar proper digital nerve to the hallux, also known as Joplin's neuroma, are very uncommon in the literature. The condition of perineural fibrosis of this nerve was first described in 1971 by Joplin. Diagnosis of this nerve in a localized pathologic process based on physical exam and surgical pathology and noniatrogenic etiology are discussed. Three case studies of Joplin's neuroma are followed through the treatment course from initial presentation to postoperative follow-up.

[Cutaneous neural neoplasms--an update]. / Kutane Tumoren des Nervenhüllgewebes--eine Ubersicht.

Until recently, benign cutaneous neural tumours which do not fulfill criteria for either neurofibroma or schwannoma often were lumped into the broad category of benign peripheral nerve sheath tumours (PNST). However, during the last years a number of new entities of neural tumours has been described, and advances in immunohistochemistry and electronmicroscopy have helped us better to understand the cytological differentiation in these neoplasms. The knowledge of these distinctive neoplasms is necessary in order to avoid diagnostic pitfalls and misdiagnosis of more aggressive neoplasms. These distinctive lesions include: Neurothekeoma, which can be divided into classical myxoid and cellular types showing characteristic histological and immunohistochemical features. Typical neurothekeoma (nerve sheath myxoma) is a lobular or nodular dermal neoplasm composed of plump spindled or stellated S-100 positive tumour cells set in a myxoid stroma. In contrast cellular neurothekeoma is characterized as an ill-defined dermal neoplasm composed of concentric nests and fascicles of spindle-shaped and epitheloid tumour cells, which are S-100 negative but stain positively for NKIC3. The evidence of intermediate forms of neurothekeoma showing features of ordinary, hypocellular neurothekeoma and cellular neurothekeoma, as well as ultrastructural studies emphasize, that both variants represent a spectrum of neurothekeoma. Solitary circumscribed neuroma ("palisaded encapsulated neuroma") manifests mainly as a skin-colored or pink papule or nodule, and is most often located on the face. Histologically, solitary circumscribed neuroma is a well-circumscribed round or ovoid dermal neoplasm composed of interwoven fascicles of schwann cells, which stain positively for S-100 protein, and numerous neurofilament positive axons surrounded partly by fibroblasts and EMA-positive perineurial cells. Perineurioma is a rare well-circumscribed neoplasm which occurs mainly in subcutaneous tissue and only rarely in the dermis and in deep soft tissue. Perineurioma is composed of elongated bipolar spindle-shaped tumour cells which are arranged in a storiform, linear or lamellated growth pattern. The tumour cells stain positively for vimentin and EMA, and for CD34 in a number of cases, but lack positivity for S-100 protein, neurofilament and desmoplakin. In addition unusual forms of schwannoma including cellular schwannoma, solitary plexiform schwannoma, and melanocytic schwannoma are briefly discussed.

The early history of the neurofibromatosis. Evolution of the concept of neurofibromatosis type 2.

Although neurofibromatosis (NF) became widely recognized as a pathologic entity in the late 19th century, only relatively recently has a clear distinction been made between its generalized form and the central variety. The latter form is typified by bilateral acoustic neuromas (ANs), which may be accompanied by other intracranial tumors, in particular, meningiomas. Up until almost the current era, confusion regarding the protean manifestations of the 2 types of NF existed in the minds of clinicians and in the literature. In 1987, a consensus panel of the National Institutes of Health differentiated the clinical manifestations associated with classic von Recklinghausen syndrome from those of the predominantly intracranial subtype and they were subsequently deemed NF type 1 (NF-1) and NF type 2 (NF-2), respectively. During the last few years, the genetic flaws that underlie these 2 syndromes have been elucidated, revealing that their origins lie in defects on separate chromosomes. The early literature on the subject included repeated descriptions of patients with manifestations typical of NF-2. The investigators, however, considered the intracranial lesions to be merely 1 facet of the generalized form of the disease. A few prescient individuals, however, demonstrated an appreciation for the distinguishing characteristics between these superficially similar, yet quite different, syndromes. The goals of this article are to trace the evolution of the concept of NF-2 as a distinct clinical entity from NF-1 and to assess the early awareness of and attitudes toward bilateral ANs, familial ANs, and ANs associated with other intracranial tumors.