Schwannomas of the Extremities

Schwannomas are relatively rare benign tumors of peripheral nerves. Most common in the upper limbs, these tumors can affect any nerve. Most peripheral schwannomas are solitary, slow-growing small lesions that are incidentally discovered or present with mild to moderate sensorimotor symptoms. The most frequent clinical presentation of schwannoma is a mass located over the course of a nerve, painful to pressure. As the tumor grows larger and exerts local pressure on the nerve of origin, dysesthesia, neuropathic pain, sensory loss, and weakness can occur.