title: Pain images: hip pain--wrong diagnosis, wrong operation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The clinical presentation of retroperitoneal schwannoma with neuropathic pain and its subsequent management is presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a case report of a 67-year-old woman who developed left hip pain radiating into the postero-lateral portion of her left thigh and extending to the knee.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patient underwent a left hip replacement for suspected pain from osteoarthritis of the hip joint.
  
  
  METHODS
  The location of her pain was unchanged from the initial presentation, and more extensive investigations were carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pain was found to be neuropathic in nature caused by a 54 mm retroperitoneal schwannoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our case demonstrates the principle that unless the diagnosis is very clear (based on history, examination and diagnostic local anaesthetic injection, and confirmed by special investigations), surgery should not be considered. Where doubt exists, further assessment and investigation is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ongley
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shipton
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000150:complications*; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome