Feasibility of Intraoperative Somatosensory Evoked Potential Monitoring for Resection of Brachial Plexus Schwannomas: A Pilot Study.

[OBJECTIVES] The complex anatomical location of brachial plexus tumors is a formidable diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for surgeons. Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring enables the surgeon to proceed with more aggressive maneuvers for near total removal of the spinal cord tumor, such as somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) monitoring. The present study aimed to describe the SSEP-assisted microsurgical excision technique and to evaluate the surgical outcomes of brachial plexus schwannomas.

[METHODS] Thirteen patients who underwent SSEP-guided microsurgery for brachial plexus schwannomas between October 2011 and December 2020 were included in our study.

[RESULTS] The mean age of the patients was 50 years (range, 29-64 years), with six tumors localized on the right, six on the left side and one on bilateral sides. Eight patients had preoperative motor/sensory dysfunction. Compared to preoperative Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score, the postoperative VAS score significantly decreased in these patients (P = 0.005). No postoperative neurovascular injury was observed in the patients. Among patients who had a preoperative neurologic deficit, these preoperative neurologic deficits were relieved or improved after surgery. There was a low disability in the arm, shoulder, and hand after surgery.

[CONCLUSIONS] Brachial plexus schwannomas is able to completely excised by SSEP-assisted delicately surgical techniques, contributing to a surgical benefit for the excision of brachial plexus schwannomas, particularly in patients with lower trunk involvement.