A Case of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor(mpnst) Which Was Treated with Total Resection Followed by Successful Tendon Transfers for Radial Nerve Palsy.

We reported a 42-year-old female patient with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) arising within the radial nerve in her left axilla. She had noticed a subcutaneous mass in this area in 1988. The tumor had grown slowly. We performed partial excision of the tumor in 1997, which was histologically diagnosed as a plexiform neurofibroma. Since then, it increased in size more rapidly, became harder, and was complicated with pain. In August 2000, we performed a second partial excision and confirmed the malignant change. The tumor was totally excised and radical dissection of the lymph nodes of the left axilla was performed. Resulting radial nerve palsy was relieved by tendon transfers which were done one month later. She returned to work as a nurse two months after the last surgery. [Skin Cancer (Japan) 2001; 16: 319-323]