Predictive factors of postoperative deficit and functional outcome after surgery for upper limb schwannomas: Retrospective study of 21 patients

Schwannomas are the most frequent benign tumors of the peripheral nerves. Tumor enucleation is the traditional surgical treatment. The incidence of neurological complications after surgery varies and predictive factors for these complications are not clearly defined. The aim of this study was to find predictive factors of postoperative neurological deficit after surgical treatment of schwannomas of the upper limb. Twenty-four schwannomas removed from 21 patients were analyzed retrospectively. The patients' mean age was 45.4years and the mean follow-up was 64.4months. Clinical parameters studied were age, gender, nature of preoperative symptoms, duration of symptoms, type of surgery performed, tumor location and size, nerve involved, QuickDASH and DN4 scores. Postoperative neurological deficits occurred in 14 patients (67%), with 11 having a sensory deficit and 7 a motor weakness. Eleven did not exist before surgery (6 sensory, 5 motor). In the postoperative deficit subgroup, 6 schwannomas involved the brachial plexus, 4 the ulnar nerve, and 4 the median nerve. All patients who had a fascicular resection because tumor enucleation was not feasible were in the postoperative deficit subgroup. Ten patients had either unchanged or worse QuickDASH and/or DN4 scores after surgery. Surgical treatment of schwannomas can lead to postoperative complications. Although none of our findings were statistically significant, advanced age, large tumor size, more than 16months between the first symptoms and surgery, and brachial plexus location seem to be more frequently observed in those with a postoperative neurological deficit.