Supracubital perineurioma misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome: Case report

Abstract

Background: Perineuriomas have been defined as tumorous lesions of the peripheral nerves which derive from perineurial cell proliferation and may be associated with abnormalities on chromosome 22. Case presentation: Three years after a painful cubital vein procaine injection, a 33 year-old man developed a median nerve lesion, initially diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. Symptoms progressed despite appropriate surgery. Clinical and electrophysiological re-evaluation revealed a fusiform mass at the distal upper arm, confirmed by MRI. Immunohistochemical studies classified the tumor as a mixed perineurioma and neuroma. Conclusions: Perineurioma mixed with neuroma may potentially caused by the previous trauma or cytotoxic effects of procaine. © 2004 Saft et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.