Brachial plexus tumours--own experience in diagnostics and surgical treatment

Brachial plexus tumours are rather rare peripheral nerve tumours. In this study, we have presented the results of surgical treatment of cases with neoplasmatic process in the brachial plexus structures. Clinical material consisted of 9 patients (8 women, 34-72 years old; and 1 boy, 7 years old) on which the following procedures were performed: a) excision of the tumour with immediate nerve grafting of the sural nerve, b) extirpation of the tumour, c) excision of the tumour and direct suture reconstruction, d) brachial plexus neurolysis, e) tumour biopsy. We evaluated the pre- and post-operative motor and sensory deficit and established the three point scale of deficit intensity from + to +++. We diagnosed the following tumours in the clinical material: neurofibroma (diagnosed in 4 cases), plexiform neurofibroma (diagnosed in 2 cases), neurilemmoma (diagnosed in 1 case), and malignant tumours (diagnosed in 2 cases), which were found at the plexus area; they were metastatic or spreading continuously from the surrounding tissue. After surgical treatment, the sensory and motor function improved significantly in 4 cases (44,4%). The surgical treatment results depended on the size, localization and histological pattern of the tumour.