• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.839-842
• /
• 2010

Purpose: Ganglion cysts of peripheral nerve are uncommon. Ganglion cysts located within the nerve and extraneural ganglia that cause symptomatic nerve compression have been reported. We report an unusual case of epineural ganglion cyst confined to the epineurium of the sural nerve at the foot. Methods: A 45-year-old woman was referred because of a mass on the foot. She had six months' history of pain and numbness in the right small toe. During the examination of the lesion, multinodular cystic mass was identified arising from the epineurium of the sural nerve. The nerve fascicles were compressed by the cyst, but the cyst wall clearly did not invade the fascicle. With the aid of surgical microscope, the epineural cyst was completely excised along with epineural tissue to which it was attached, and the sural nerve was decompressed. There was no relationship between the cyst and either the joint capsule or tendon sheath. Since the cyst was on the periphery of the nerve it was possible to remove the cyst intact without damaging the underlying fascicles. Results: The postoperative course was uneventful. Pathologic examination showed a ganglion cyst with a degenerated collagen fibers and contained a yellowish, jelly-like mucinous substance. No neural elements were identified within the cystic wall. Her sensory impairment improved progressively. At the 15 months follow-up, she was asymptomatic with no neurological deficits. Conclusion: Rarely, ganglion cysts can involve peripheral nerves, leading to varing degrees of neurological deficits. Intraneural intrafascicular ganglion may be difficult to separate from the neural elements without nerve injury. Epineural ganglion, subcategorized as intraneural extrafascicular ganglion, can be removed without damage to the underlying nerve.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.131-134
• /
• 2018

A hypertrophied peroneal tubercle can present as a bony prominence at the lateral aspect of the foot and a peroneal tenosynovitis or tear. We report a case of a 52-year-old man complaining of lateral foot tingling pain and numbness. The sural nerve entrapment and peroneus longus tenosynovitis by hypertrophied peroneal tubercle were confirmed. Good results were obtained after excision of the hypertrophied peroneal tubercle and sural nerve release.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.71-73
• /
• 2019

Nearly one third of the world's population have active or latent tuberculosis, resulting in 1.5 million deaths annually. Tuberculosis involving the peripheral nerve is difficult to detect. Sural nerve tuberculoma is an extremely rare case of tuberculous involvement of the peripheral nerve that has attracted the attention of physicians. This paper reports a patient with sural nerve tuberculoma. A 58-year-old female patient presented with a palpable mass on the posterolateral calf with progressive tingling sensation on the distal area. The patient had no history of trauma and it was unclear whether the patient had any contact with individuals with active tuberculosis. The histopathologic findings revealed a granuloma-like lesion with caseous necrosis that was compatible with tuberculoma.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.60 no.4
• /
• pp.417-423
• /
• 2017

Objective : Repair of sensorial nerve defect is an important issue on peripheric nerve surgery. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of sensory-motor nerve bridging on the denervated dermatomal area, in rats with sensory nerve defects, using a neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). Methods : We compared the efficacy of end-to-side (ETS) coaptation of the tibial nerve for sural nerve defect repair, in 32 Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were assigned to 1 of 4 groups : group A was the sham operated group, group B rats had sural nerves sectioned and buried in neighboring muscles, group C experienced nerve sectioning and end-to-end (ETE) anastomosis, and group D had sural nerves sectioned and ETS anastomosis was performed using atibial nerve bridge. Neurological evaluation included the skin pinch test and histological evaluation was performed by assessing NCAM expression in nerve terminals. Results : Rats in the denervated group yielded negative results for the skin pinch tests, while animals in the surgical intervention groups (group C and D) demonstrated positive results. As predicted, there were no positively stained skin specimens in the denervated group (group B); however, the surgery groups demonstrated significant staining. NCAM expression was also significantly higher in the surgery groups. However, the mean NCAM values were not significantly different between group C and group D. Conclusion : Previous research indicates that ETE nerve repair is the gold standard for peripheral nerve defect repair. However, ETS repair is an effective alternative method in cases of sensorial nerve defect when ETE repair is not possible.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.461-468
• /
• 2015

Background Functional restoration of the facial expression is necessary after facial nerve resection to treat head and neck tumors. This study was conducted to evaluate the functional outcomes of patients who underwent facial nerve cable grafting immediately after tumor resection. Methods Patients who underwent cable grafting from April 2007 to August 2011 were reviewed, in which a harvested branch of the sural nerve was grafted onto each facial nerve division. Twelve patients underwent facial nerve cable grafting after radical parotidectomy, total parotidectomy, or schwannoma resection, and the functional facial expression of each patient was evaluated using the Facial Nerve Grading Scale 2.0. The results were analyzed according to patient age, follow-up duration, and the use of postoperative radiation therapy. Results Among the 12 patients who were evaluated, the mean follow-up duration was 21.8 months, the mean age at the time of surgery was 42.8 years, and the mean facial expression score was 14.6 points, indicating moderate dysfunction. Facial expression scores were not influenced by age at the time of surgery, follow-up duration, or the use of postoperative radiation therapy. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that facial nerve cable grafting using the sural nerve can restore facial expression. Although patients were provided with appropriate treatment, the survival rate for salivary gland cancer was poor. We conclude that immediate facial nerve reconstruction is a worthwhile procedure that improves quality of life by allowing the recovery of facial expression, even in patients who are older or may require radiation therapy.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.88-92
• /
• 1998

The course of the sural nerve in the calf has been well documented, but there is a general lack of information concerning the distal course of the nerve. The purpose of this study was to describe the distal course of the sural nerve and its surgical implications. Seven fresh amputated specimens were dissected to show the anatomy of the sural nerve in the foot and ankle. At the level of about 10cm proximal to the plantar surface, the sural nerve coursed anteriorly and inferiorly away from the Achilles tendon. 2 to 4 lateral calcaneal branches arose. The first branch of the lateral calcaneal branches coursed along the lateral border of the Achilles tendon, and it arose at 8cm proximal to the plantar surface in 2 specimens, 12cm proximal to the plantar surface in 4 specimens, and at 12cm proximal to the plantar surface in one specimen. The main nerve trunk continued distally plantar to the peroneal tendons and divided into two terminal branches and crossed peroneus longus tendon at the level of the inferior border of the calcaneo-cuboid joint, at about 3cm(range, $2.5\sim3.0$)cm from the plantar surface. In conclusion, a longitudinal incision lateral to the Achilles tendon would cross the path of the sural nerve at about 10cm proximal to the plantar surface. When the first branch of them arise more than 10cm above the plantar surface, a logitudinal incision lateral to the Achilles tendon may be made without damage. The other lateral calcaneal branches will be cut when we make transverse incision paralled to the plantar surface. The terminal branch also may be in danger by the same transverse incision.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.421-426
• /
• 2011

Purpose: Although the sural nerve is the most commonly used donor for autologous nerve graft, its morbidity after harvesting is sparsely investigated. The sural nerve being a sensory nerve, complications such as sensory changes in its area and neuroma can be expected. This study was designed to evaluate the donor site morbidity after sural nerve harvesting. Methods: Among the 13 cases, who underwent sural nerve harvesting between January 2004 and August 2009, 11 patients with proper follow up were included in the study. The collected data included harvested graft length, actual length of the grafted nerve, anesthetic and paresthetic area, presence of Tinel sign and symptomatic neuroma, and scar quality. Results: In 7 patients, no anesthetic area could be detected. Of the patients with a follow up period of more than 2 years, all the patients showed no anesthetic area except two cases who had a very small area of sensory deficit ($225mm^2$) on the lateral heel area, and large deficit ($4,500mm^2$) on the lateral foot aspect. The patients with a short follow up period (1~2 m) demonstrated a large anesthetic skin area ($6.760mm^2$, $12,500mm^2$). Only one patient had a Tinel sign. This patient also showed a subcutaneous neuroma, which was visible, but did not complain of discomfort during daily activities. One patient had a hypertrophic scar in the retromalleolar area, whereas the two other scars on the calf were invisible. Conclusion: After a period of 2 years the size of anesthetic skin in the lateral retromalleolar area is nearly zero. It is hypothesized that the size of sensory skin deficit may be large immediately after the operation. This area decreases over time so that after 2 years the patient does not feel any discomfort from nerve harvesting.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.184-191
• /
• 1999

Reconstruction of soft tissue defect of the foot, ankle and distal tibial area has been and remains a challenging problem for reconstructive surgeons. We treated 19 patients who showed soft tissue defect in these area with distally based superficial sural artery flaps, including four adipofascial flaps, two sensate flaps. The size of the soft tissue defect was from $4{\times}5cm\;to\;8{\times}10cm$. In nine cases, we preserved sural nerve. Seventeen flaps survived completely, but one flap failed and another flap showed partial skin necrosis at the distal half. In failed cases, lesser saphenous vein was ruptured at initial injury. The advantage of this flap is a constant and reliable blood supply without sacrifice of major artery or sensory nerve. Elevation of the flap is technically easy and quick. The pedicle is long and the island flap can be transffered as far as to the instep area. It also has the potential for sensate flap, innervated by the lateral sural cutaneous nerve. But for appropriate venous drainage small saphenous vein must be preserved.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.208-211
• /
• 2024

Intraneural hematoma is a rare disease that results in an impaired nerve function because of bleeding around the peripheral nerve, with only 20 cases reported. Trauma, neoplasm, and bleeding disorders are known factors for intraneural hematoma. However, here we report atypical features of asymptomatic and spontaneous intraneural hematoma which are difficult to diagnose. A 60-year-old woman visited our clinic with the complaint of a palpable mass on the right calf. She reported no medical history or trauma to the right calf and laboratory findings showed normal coagulopathy. Ultrasonography was performed, which indicated hematoma near saphenous vein and sural nerve or neurogenic tumor. We performed surgical exploration and intraneural hematoma was confirmed on sural nerve. Meticulous paraneuriotomy and evacuation was performed without nerve injury. Histological examination revealed intraneural hematoma with a vascular wall. No neurologic symptoms were observed. In literature review, we acknowledge that understanding anatomy of nerve, using ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool and surgical decompression is key for intraneural hematoma. Our case report may help establish the implications of diagnosis and treatment. Also, we suggested surgical treatment is necessary even in cases that do not present symptoms because neurological symptoms and associated symptoms may occur later.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.34-38
• /
• 2003

Backgrounds and Objectives: In the length-dependent axonal polyneuropathy like diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN), the distal part of the longer axons are affected earlier. In cases of minimal distal axonal changes, nerve conduction studies (NCS) are frequently normal. If sural nerve is affected in the early stage of DPN, supportive parameters to detect the early axonal degeneration may be helpful. We investigated whether the sural/ulnar SNAP amplitude ratio (SUAR) may be a more sensitive indicator than sural amplitude alone in the diagnosis of early diabetic polyneuropathy. Methods: We analyzed medical records and electrophysiological studies of 141 patients with DM and 30 healthy subjects. The patients with early stage of DPN were defined as those having symptoms of neuropathy and normal NCS findings among the patients with DM. We compared SUAR between 57 patients with early stage of DPN and 71 agematched control subjects. Results: Fifty seven patients had an average SUAR of 0.8, compared to that of 1.1 in the 71 normal controls. The SUAR of less than 0.9 was supplementary predictor of axonal polyneuropathy, with the best balance of sensitivity and specificity (70%). The SUAR did not vary significantly with age, height or duration of DM. Conclusions: We conclude that the SUAR is a useful electrodiagnostic indicator to detect early stage of DPN.