Patient Demographics, Tumor Characteristics and Outcomes following Surgical Treatment of Benign and Malignant Brachial PlexusTumors: A Systematic Review

Introduction

Primarybrachialplexus(BP)tumorsarerare,challenging-to treatentitiesthatmainlyoriginatefromtheneuroectodermalcells.Theseconstitutenearly5%ofallupperextremitytumors,causingpainanddisabilityinaffectedpatients.ClinicalpresentationofBPtumorscandifferdependingontheirlocationandsize.Mostoftentheypresentwithapainfulpalpablemasswithorwithoutneurologicdeficits.ThisisthemostcommonsymptomofpatientswithBPtumors.Asthetumorprogresses,painfulparesthesiaatthedistributionoftheaffectednerveoccurs.Ultimately,progressivelossofmotorfunctionmayoccur.Varioustreatmentoptionshavebeenintroducedforthemanagementofprimarytumorsofthebrachialplexus(BP),rangingfromconservativetherapytowidelocalexcisionwith/withoutpostoperativechemoradiotherapy.However,thereisadiscrepancyabouttheoptimaltreatmentstrategiesforbenignandmalignantlesionsbasedonpathologiccharacteristicsandthelocationoftheBPtumors.Also,noconsensushasbeenestablishedtodescribetheoptimaloperativeapproachfortumorsofthebrachialplexus.Hence,thissystematicreviewwasperformedtoevaluatetheoptimalsurgicalinterventionsaccordingtothepathologiccharacteristicsofthetumoranddescribeoverallpatientoutcomes,survivalrates,andpossibleprognosticfactors