gms | German Medical Science

Objective: The aim was to improve surgical treatment of retroperitoneal nerve tumors by analyzing preoperative clinical symptoms, surgical technique and postoperative clinical outcome.

Method: Retrospectively 12 cases of patients with retroperitoneal nerve tumors who all received surgical therapy between 1990 and 2013 were analyzed.

Results: The group of patients was homogeneously divided in 6 (50%) men and 6 (50%) women. By the time of surgical treatment the average age of the female patients was 43.5 years and the male patients was 48 years. Main symptoms leading to the diagnosis were radicular pain (58%), sensory deficits (33%) followed by abdominal pain (17%) and motor deficits (17%). In two cases the nerve tumor presented as an incidental finding and three patients had neurofibromatosis type 1 as a pre-existing condition. In all cases magnetic resonance imaging was performed preoperatively. All patients received operative treatment, performed by a neurosurgeon and a visceral surgeon. Nine patients underwent a total resection; three patients subtotal resection. In ten cases (83%) it was possible to perform surgery obtaining the nerve roots located in the tumor, thru microsurgical technique and neurostimulation. Pathological results showed 75% benign tumors and 25% malignant tumors.

Conclusions: Nerve obtaining surgery should be the aim in treating retroperitoneal nerve tumors, since most of them are benign. It can be achieved by an interdisciplinary surgical team using microsurgical technique and neurostimulation.