Peripheral Nerve Schwannomas: A Literature Review

Introduction Schwannomas are benign tumors originating from the cells, which wrap around axons that are usually encapsulated and solitary. These tumors usually lead to little or no symptomatology. They are usually the most common peripheral nerve tumors in adults, with their highest incidence between the third and fifth decades of life. Objective To perform a review about schwannoma of the peripheral nerves, presenting its definition, epidemiology, diagnosis, symptomatology and treatment. Methodology This is a descriptive work, based on a review of articles available in the PubMed database with the descriptors schwannoma and peripheral nerves. Results and Discussion Only papers published between 1981 and 2019, describing studies in humans, and that were available as full articles were selected. A total of 391 articles were included; after reading the titles, we noted that 67 articles fit the topic of the present study. Among the articles selected for reading, 33 fit the objectives of the present work, and were considered for the writing of the present article. Conclusion Schwannomas are benign myelin sheath tumors that develop with local symptomatology or asymptomatic and present a good surgical prognosis with generally reduced rates of surgical complications.

The Influence of the Type of Surgical Thread and Suture in the Open Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the result of compression and/or traction of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. It is the most frequent compressive neuropathy of the upper limbs and it is usually idiopathic. Diagnosis is essentially clinical, defined by symptoms and provocative tests. Decompression of themedian nerve by section of the transverse carpus ligament is the treatment of choice, but the lack of consensus on the type of suture and surgical thread to be used in the open carpal tunnel decompression surgery justifies the importance of evaluating the comparative results of existing studies, aiming to describe the influence of different types of sutures and surgical threads to guide the professionals about the most appropriate conduct. This is a systematic review of the international and national literature. Four studies comparing the influence of surgical threads and one study evaluating the influence of the type of suture were found. From the comparative studies, it was observed that there is advantage in the use of nonabsorbable suture due to the lower occurrence of inflammation and postoperative wound complications. When using Donatti sutures, wound edge inversion is less likely to occur comparedwith single individual sutures, but they are also related to longer postoperative pain.

Abducens Nerve Palsy as Initial Manifestation of Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Case Report

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a form of progressive intracranial hemorrhage, typically associated with cases of trauma. The manifestation of this comorbidity with abducens palsy is a rare finding. The present work aims to describe the case of an adult patient with abducens nerve palsy as a manifestation of CSDH. Chronic subdural hematoma is most commonly found in elderly patients, with systemic hypertension as amanifestation. The relation with the sixth cranial nerve is unusual and draws attention to the case reported. In addition, the prognosis is positive, since trepanation and drainage surgery was performed, as it is recommended in the literature.