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Sciatic nerve tumor and tumor-like lesions - uncommon pathologies
Vibhor Wadhwa1, Rashmi S Thakkar, Nicholas Maragakis
1The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. vwadhwa1@jhmi.edu
Skeletal Radiology
|March 14, 2012
Summary
Sciatic nerve enlargement can stem from various causes, including common tumors and rarer conditions. High-resolution MRI effectively evaluates these sciatic nerve lesions.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Oncology
Background:
- Sciatic nerve enlargement is often associated with peripheral nerve sheath tumors and neurocutaneous syndromes like neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis.
- Less common causes include perineuroma, fibromatosis, neurolymphoma, amyloidosis, endometriosis, intraneural ganglion cysts, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the normal anatomy of the sciatic nerve.
- To discuss the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of various sciatic nerve pathologies.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on sciatic nerve pathologies.
- Discussion of high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging techniques and findings.
Main Results:
- Peripheral nerve sheath tumors and neurocutaneous syndromes are common causes of sciatic nerve enlargement.
- A diverse range of rare conditions can also lead to sciatic nerve mass-like changes.
- High-resolution MRI is a valuable non-invasive diagnostic tool for evaluating these conditions.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the spectrum of sciatic nerve pathologies is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
- MRI plays a pivotal role in differentiating between common and rare causes of sciatic nerve enlargement.
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