Nerve Tumors of Childhood and Infancy

Peripheral nerves are vulnerable to a wide array of inflammatory, infiltrative, hyperplastic, degenerative, and neoplastic processes, the treatment of which depends on accurate clinical and histopathologic assessment. As they are rarely encountered in the pediatric population, peripheral nerve tumors (PNTs) often prove a diagnostic challenge in this cohort. Although many of the tumors seen in the adult population can also present in childhood, their relative contribution to morbidity is divergent between the two cohorts. In fact, lesions that dominate in adults are supplanted by lesser known but highly aggressive pathologies in children. Familiarity with the clinical presentation, diagnostic adjuncts, and therapeutic indications of pediatric PNTs is a requirement for achieving clinical success. It is the goal of this review to summarize the key features of the most commonly encountered pediatric PNTs, highlighting the key considerations in their management and recommended surgical techniques. Lesions will be presented in the context of three broad categories: benign, malignant, and reactive or hyperplastic lesions.