Summary
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath spinal tumours are relatively rare. A primary spinal location at onset from the nerve roots is rarely reported in the literature, thus the clinical features and therapeutic results of these spinal malignant tumours are not defined.
Six cases of malignant primary spinal schwannomas, 2% of 293 spinal schwannomas operated on in a 38 year period, are reported.
Based on an analysis of a limited number of cases, ours and those collected from the literature (21 patients), some suggestions are possible:
-
a)
pre-operative clinical presentation and imaging studies are not predictive of malignancy;
-
b)
postoperative outcome is poor, especially in patients with von Recklinghausen's disease and after partial removal of the tumour;
-
c)
local recurrence and metastases are possible, even after radical surgery and radiotherapy.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ariel IM (1988) Tumors of peripheral nervous system. Semin Surg Oncol 4: 7–12
Basso-Ricci S (1989) Therapy of malignant schwannomas: usefulness of an integrated radiologic surgical therapy. J Neurosurg Sci 33: 253–257
D'Agostino AN, Soule EH, Miller RH (1963) Primary malignant neoplasms of nerves (malignant neurilemomas) in patients without manifestations of multiple neurofibromatosis (von Recklinghausen disease). Cancer 16: 1003–1004
Ducatman BS, Scheithauer BW, Piegras DG, Reiman HM, Ilstrup DM (1986) Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. A clinicopathologic study of 120 cases. Cancer 57: 2006–2021
Enzinger FM, Weiss SW (1988) Soft tissue tumors. Mosby, Washington, pp 585–590
Fletcher CDM, Davies SE, McKee PH (1987) Cellular schwannoma: a distinct pseudosarcomatous entity. Histopathology 11: 21–35
Goldmann RL, Jones SE, Heusinkveld (1977) Combination chemotherapy of metastatic malignant schwannoma with vincristine, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and imidazole carboxamid. A case report. Cancer 39: 1955–1958
Ghosh BC, Ghosh L, Hivos AG, Fortner JG (1973) Malignant schwannoma. A clinicopathologic study. Cancer 31: 184–190
Kleihues P, Burger PC, Scheithauer BW (1993) The new WHO classification of brain tumors. Brain Pathol 3: 255–268
Megha T, De Santis M, Missori P, Lunardi PP, Palma L (1989) Su di un caso di schwannoma melanotico. Acta Oncol 10: 79–85
Nittner K (1977) Spinal meningiomas, neurinomas and neurofibromas and houglass tumours. In: Vinken PJ, Bruyn GW (eds) Handbook of clinical neurology, Vol 20. Amsterdam, pp 177–332
Seppala MT, Haltia MJJ (1993) Spinal malignant nerve-sheath tumor or cellular schwannoma? A striking difference in prognosis. J Neurosurg 79: 528–532
Thomeer RTWM, Bots GTAM, van Dulken H, Luyendijk W, Helle P (1981) Neurofibrosarcoma of the cauda equina. J Neurosurg 54: 409–411
Trojanowski JQ, Kleinman GM, Proppe KH (1980) Malignant tumors of nerve sheath origin. Cancer 46: 1202–1212
Valdueza JM, Hagel C, Westphal M, Hansel M, Herrmann HD (1991) Primary spinal malignant schwannoma: clinical, histological and cytogenetic findings. Neurosurg Rev 14: 283–291
White HR Jr (1971) Survival in malignant schwannoma. An 18-year study. Cancer 27: 720–729
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Celli, P., Cervoni, L., Tarantino, R. et al. Primary spinal malignant schwannomas: Clinical and prognostic remarks. Acta neurochir 135, 52–55 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02307414
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02307414