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Myofibroma mimicking peripheral nerve sheath tumour with ulnar nerve compression symptoms
  1. Harvey Chim1,
  2. Gayle Suk Wiesemann1 and
  3. Elham Nasri2
  1. 1Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
  2. 2Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Health, University of Florida Health, Gainesville, Florida, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Harvey Chim; harveychim{at}yahoo.com

Abstract

We report a case of myofibroma encasing the ulnar nerve on the medial aspect of the left arm with motor and sensory deficit secondary to compression. Initially, the tumour appeared to be a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumour based on preoperative imaging, with clinical examination positive for left hand clawing and a positive Wartenberg’s and Froment’s sign. However, intraoperative dissection demonstrated that the mass did not originate from the ulnar nerve proper, lowering suspicion for a peripheral nerve sheath tumour. Histopathological analysis showed spindle cell neoplasm, consistent with myofibroma. The patient underwent hand occupational therapy subsequently, with improvement of grip strength from 5 lb to 12 lb by 4 months postoperatively and resolution of clawing of the hand postoperatively. We discuss differentiating features for this rare occurrence of solitary adult myofibroma, where the final diagnosis was only made after formal histopathological analysis.

  • Plastic and reconstructive surgery
  • Orthopaedic and trauma surgery
  • Tendonopathies
  • Orthopaedics
  • Peripheral nerve disease

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Footnotes

  • Contributors EN contibuted to interpretation of data, and manuscript images. HC and GSW contributed to manuscript text, manuscript drafts and revisions.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.