title: Benign nerve tumours of the hand (excluding wrist).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hand tumours of neural origin are rare in clinical practice. The aim of this work is to present our experience in operative treatment of benign nerve tumours located in the hand. Special emphasis has been put on determining the occurrence rates of particular tumour types characterized by their unique histopathological patterns and describing detailed location of the lesions. The obtained results of treatment were assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised of 26 patients, both female (19) and male (7). The mean age and age range of the female and male patients were 44.8 years (range, 21-73 years) and 39.6 years (range, 21-74 years), respectively. The patients underwent operative treatment for tumours of neurogenic origin located in the hand between the years 1990 and 2013. In total, 31 tumours in 26 patients were removed. The most common site of tumour origin was small cutaneous branches and only exceptionally the tumours arose from common digital nerves (2 patients). No patient was lost to postoperative follow-up. The shortest period of postoperative follow-up covered 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No tumour recurrence was detected during postoperative follow-up examinations. The patients reported neither pain nor presence of paraesthesias. Neurofibromas (17 tumours) predominated in the gathered clinical material, while the second most common group of tumours were schwannomas (12 tumours).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) Benign nerve tumours of the hand are rare. Neurofibromas and schwannomas predominate among them. Tumours having other histopathological patterns are extremely uncommon. (2) The prognosis after resection of benign nerve tumours located in the hand is good and the risk of postoperative complications and recurrence is low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology, Clinic of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Borowska 213, 50-556, Wrocław, Poland. chiruraz@umed.wroc.pl.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gosk
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology, Clinic of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Borowska 213, 50-556, Wrocław, Poland. gutkowska.olga@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gutkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology, Clinic of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Borowska 213, 50-556, Wrocław, Poland. maciejurban@poczta.onet.pl.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology, Clinic of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Borowska 213, 50-556, Wrocław, Poland. jacek.martynkiewicz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martynkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology, Clinic of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Borowska 213, 50-556, Wrocław, Poland. michalbak@vp.pl.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bąk
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathomorphology, Division of Pathomorphology, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. K. Marcinkowskiego 1, 50-368, Wrocław, Poland. ziolkows@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ziółkowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D009455:Neurofibroma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014953:Wrist; D014955:Wrist Joint; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hand; Neurofibroma; Schwannoma; Tumour