Tumors of peripheral nerves and nerve plexuses

Tumors of peripheral nerves and nerve plexuses usually occur as a result of traumatic injury, or as a consequence of infections, intoxications, metabolic disorders, tumors and inflammatory processes of neighboring organs. Tumors of peripheral nerves - neuromas, occur at the site of nerve damage. Its intersection, for example, during amputation of a limb, can be accompanied by the formation of an amputation neuroma. In areas accessible to palpation, on the stump of the limb, the neuroma is felt as a sharply painful formation, usually fused with the surrounding tissues. Less often, mobile and painless tumors of peripheral nerves are observed. Sometimes several nodes are involved in the process - polygangliolitis. If tumors of peripheral nerves and nerve plexuses occur simultaneously, then two stages are distinguished during the course of the disease.

Symptoms

The neuralgic stage is manifested by pain and painful sensations that arise or intensify with movement. The paralytic stage is characterized by flaccid paralysis or paresis of muscles, decreased or absent sensitivity and vegetative-trophic disorders in the innervation zone. When the nerve plexuses are affected, painful sensations (burning sensation) often occur in the innervation zone, sometimes the pain spreads to the entire half of the body, often the pain occurs in attacks. The functions of the internal organs innervated by the affected nerve plexuses are impaired. When a tumor of the celiac (solar) plexus occurs, pain occurs in the epigastric region, radiating throughout the abdomen, and sometimes into the chest cavity. Along with pain, there are disorders of the motor and secretory functions of the stomach and intestines, biliary dyskinesia, spasms of the muscles of the uterus and urinary tract. Solar crises sometimes occur: all symptoms are exacerbated, including vasomotor disorders, manifested by increased blood pressure, reddening of the skin. The diagnosis can only be established after a thorough examination and exclusion of diseases of various organs of the abdominal cavity and pelvis.