Neuromacin

A consensus on the optimal treatment of painful neuromas does not exist. Our objective was to identify available data and to examine the role of surgical technique on outcomes following surgical management of painful neuromas. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, we performed a comprehensive literature search to identify studies measuring the efficacy of the surgical treatment of painful neuromas in the extremities (excluding Morton's neuroma and compression neuropathies). Surgical treatments were categorized as excision-only, excision and transposition, excision and cap, excision and repair, or neurolysis and coverage. Data on the proportion of patients with a meaningful reduction in pain were pooled and a random-effects meta-analysis was performed. The effects of confounding, study quality, and publication bias were examined with stratified, meta-regression, and bias analysis. Fifty-four articles met the inclusion criteria, many with multiple treatment groups. Outcomes reporting varied significantly and few studies controlled for confounding. Overall, surgical treatment of neuroma pain was effective in 77% of patients [95% confidence interval: 73-81]. No significant differences were seen between surgical techniques. Among studies with a mean pain duration greater than 24 months, or median number of operations greater than 2 prior to definitive neuroma pain surgery, excision and transposition or neurolysis and coverage were significantly more likely than other operative techniques to result in a meaningful reduction in pain (P < 0.05). Standardization in the reporting of surgical techniques, outcomes, and confounding factors is needed in future studies to enable providers to make comparisons across disparate techniques in the surgical treatment of neuroma pain.

The occurrence of a symptomatic neuroma on a digital amputation stump, whether traumatic or not, is a frequent complication that affects the patient's quality of life. The objective of this study was to analyze the complications inherent to the various techniques used to manage the nerves when performing digital amputation. We compared different surgical nerve management techniques to determine if one technique is more effective than another in preventing neuroma occurrence. We reviewed 105 patients over a 5-year period. A DN4 score greater than 4 and the modified Tinel test (percussion) showing a trigger zone allowed us to clinically diagnose symptomatic neuroma-related pain. We found 23 symptomatic neuromas out of 131 digital amputations. Twelve neuromas were found when the nerves had been neglected (12/33), eight were found in nerves treated by stripping (8/60), three when nerves were treated by stripping and thermal ablation (3/18). No neuroma was found in the five cases of centrocentral union of the two proper palmar digital nerves, in the 5 nerves buried in the bone or in the 9 nerves subjected to thermal ablation only. Management of the nerve is essential for the prevention of neuromas in digital amputations. New techniques such as bone burial and centrocentral union of the two stumps appear to be particularly effective.

Rationale: Traumatic neuroma is a reparative proliferative response of the nerve after trauma or surgery, which rarely occurs in the breast. However, it must be distinguished from tumor recurrence. Patient concerns: A 78-year-old woman underwent left-sided modified radical mastectomy for invasive carcinoma, 7 years before this case. Two painless nodules near the mastectomy scar were discovered in regular follow-up physical examination. A 62-year-old woman had received right-sided modified radical mastectomy for intraductal carcinoma, 4 years before this case. An asymptomatic nodule near the mastectomy scar was detected during follow-up ultrasound (US) examination. Diagnosis: The lesions in both patients were diagnosed as traumatic neuroma. Interventions: The first patient underwent excisional biopsy. The second patient underwent US guided core-needle aspiration, followed by conservative therapy. Outcomes: Neither patient complained of any discomfort, nor both exhibited normal physical and US findings during follow-up examinations. Lessons: Newly discovered nodules with the benign imaging features near the mastectomy site of a patient, especially with the tail sign, traumatic neuromas should be taken into consideration. Routine US examination is important for follow-up of breast cancer patients who have undergone mastectomy.