SpringerLink
Log in

Sciatic nerve tumor and tumor-like lesions—uncommon pathologies

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Skeletal Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sciatic nerve mass-like enlargement caused by peripheral nerve sheath tumors or neurocutaneous syndromes such as neurofibromatosis or schwannomatosis has been widely reported. Other causes of enlargement, such as from perineuroma, fibromatosis, neurolymphoma, amyloidosis, endometriosis, intraneural ganglion cyst, Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy are relatively rare. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an excellent non-invasive tool for the evaluation of such lesions. In this article, the authors discuss normal anatomy of the sciatic nerve and MRI findings of the above-mentioned lesions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (France)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chhabra A, Andreisek G. Magnetic Resonance Neurography. 1st ed.: Jaypee Publications; 2012. p. 112–32.

  2. Chhabra A, Lee PP, Bizzell C, Soldatos T. 3 Tesla MR neurography--technique, interpretation, and pitfalls. Skeletal Radiol. 2011;40(10):1249–60. Epub 2011/05/07.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Filler AG. Piriformis and related entrapment syndromes: diagnosis & management. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America. 2008;19(4):609–22. Epub 2008/11/18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Filler AG, Haynes J, Jordan SE, Prager J, Villablanca JP, Farahani K, et al. Sciatica of nondisc origin and piriformis syndrome: diagnosis by magnetic resonance neurography and interventional magnetic resonance imaging with outcome study of resulting treatment. Journal of Neurosurgery Spine. 2005;2(2):99–115. Epub 2005/03/03.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ferraresi S, Garozzo D, Bianchini E, Gasparotti R. Perineurioma of the sciatic nerve: a possible cause of idiopathic foot drop in children: report of 4 cases. Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics. 2010;6(5):506–10. Epub 2010/11/03.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Descamps MJ, Barrett L, Groves M, Yung L, Birch R, Murray NM, et al. Primary sciatic nerve lymphoma: a case report and review of the literature. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 2006;77(9):1087–9. Epub 2006/08/18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Dhote R, Tudoret L, Bachmeyer C, Legmann P, Christoforov B. Cyclic sciatica. A manifestation of compression of the sciatic nerve by endometriosis. A case report. Spine. 1996;21(19):2277–9. Epub 1996/10/01.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Tehli O, Celikmez RC, Birgili B, Solmaz I, Celik E. Pure peroneal intraneural ganglion cyst ascending along the sciatic nerve. Turkish Neurosurgery. 2011;21(2):254–8. Epub 2011/05/03.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Bregeon C, Renier JC, Pidhorz L, Francois J, Cardi S, Maze H. An unusual cause of sciatica: soft tissue desmoid tumor. Apropos of 2 cases. Rev Rhum Mal Osteoartic. 1983;50(6):427–34. Epub 1983/05/01.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Skre H. Genetic and clinical aspects of Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease. Clinical Genetics. 1974;6(2):98–118.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Petchprapa CN, Rosenberg ZS, Sconfienza LM, Cavalcanti CF, Vieira RL, Zember JS. MR imaging of entrapment neuropathies of the lower extremity. Part 1. The pelvis and hip. Radiographics: a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. 2010;30(4):983–1000. Epub 2010/07/16.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Thawait SK, Chaudhry V, Thawait GK, Wang KC, Belzberg A, Carrino JA, et al. High-resolution MR neurography of diffuse peripheral nerve lesions. AJNR American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2011;32(8):1365–72. Epub 2010/10/23.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Viallon M, Vargas MI, Jlassi H, Lovblad KO, Delavelle J. High-resolution and functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brachial plexus using an isotropic 3D T2 STIR (Short Term Inversion Recovery) SPACE sequence and diffusion tensor imaging. European Radiology. 2008;18(5):1018–23. Epub 2008/01/09.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Lauenstein TC, Sharma P, Hughes T, Heberlein K, Tudorascu D, Martin DR. Evaluation of optimized inversion-recovery fat-suppression techniques for T2-weighted abdominal MR imaging. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging: JMRI. 2008;27(6):1448–54. Epub 2008/05/28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Smoll NR. Variations of the piriformis and sciatic nerve with clinical consequence: a review. Clin Anat. 2010;23(1):8–17. Epub 2009/12/10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Chhabra A CM, Soldatos T, Andreisek G, Faridian-Aragh N, Williams E, Belzberg AJ, Carrino JA. 3T High-resolution MR neurography of sciatic neuropathy. AJR Am J Roentgenol. Apr 2012 (in press).

  17. Filler AG, Maravilla KR, Tsuruda JS. MR neurography and muscle MR imaging for image diagnosis of disorders affecting the peripheral nerves and musculature. Neurologic Clinics. 2004;22(3):643–82. vi-vii. Epub 2004/06/23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Asthagiri AR, Parry DM, Butman JA, Kim HJ, Tsilou ET, Zhuang Z, et al. Neurofibromatosis type 2. Lancet. 2009;373(9679):1974–86. Epub 2009/05/30.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Lu-Emerson C, Plotkin SR. The neurofibromatoses. Part 2: NF2 and schwannomatosis. Reviews in Neurological Diseases. 2009;6(3):E81–6. Epub 2009/11/10.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Ferner RE. Neurofibromatosis 1 and neurofibromatosis 2: a twenty first century perspective. Lancet Neurology. 2007;6(4):340–51. Epub 2007/03/17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Topsakal C, Akdemir I, Tiftikci M, Ozercan I, Aydin Y. Malignant schwannoma of the sciatic nerve originating in a spinal plexiform neurofibroma associated with neurofibromatosis type 1--case report. Neurologia Medico-Chirurgica. 2001;41(11):551–5. Epub 2002/01/05.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Gerber PA, Antal AS, Neumann NJ, Homey B, Matuschek C, Peiper M, et al. Neurofibromatosis. European Journal of Medical Research. 2009;14(3):102–5. Epub 2009/04/22.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. McClatchey AI. Neurofibromatosis. Annual Review of Pathology. 2007;2:191–216. Epub 2007/11/28.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Naraghi MA. Neurofibroma of the sciatic nerve with neurofibromatosis type 1. Acta Medica Iranica. 2011;49(7):480–2. Epub 2011/10/01.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Sintzoff Jr SA, Bank WO, Gevenois PA, Matos C, Noterman J, Flament-Durand J, et al. Simultaneous neurofibroma and schwannoma of the sciatic nerve. AJNR American Journal of Neuroradiology. 1992;13(4):1249–52. Epub 1992/07/11.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. MacCollin M, Woodfin W, Kronn D, Short MP. Schwannomatosis: a clinical and pathologic study. Neurology. 1996;46(4):1072–9. Epub 1996/04/01.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Trocchia A, Reyes A, Wilson J, Les K. A rare case of segmental neurofibromatosis involving the sciatic nerve. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 2010;39(5):E42–5. Epub 2010/06/23.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Mauermann ML, Amrami KK, Kuntz NL, Spinner RJ, Dyck PJ, Bosch EP, et al. Longitudinal study of intraneural perineurioma--a benign, focal hypertrophic neuropathy of youth. Brain: a Journal of Neurology. 2009;132(Pt 8):2265–76. Epub 2009/07/02.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Lacour-Petit MC, Lozeron P, Ducreux D. MRI of peripheral nerve lesions of the lower limbs. Neuroradiology. 2003;45(3):166–70. Epub 2003/04/10.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Grisariu S, Avni B, Batchelor TT, van den Bent MJ, Bokstein F, Schiff D, et al. Neurolymphomatosis: an International Primary CNS Lymphoma Collaborative Group report. Blood. 2010;115(24):5005–11. Epub 2010/04/07.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Benson MD, Kincaid JC. The molecular biology and clinical features of amyloid neuropathy. Muscle & Nerve. 2007;36(4):411–23. Epub 2007/06/08.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Rajkumar SV, Gertz MA, Kyle RA. Prognosis of patients with primary systemic amyloidosis who present with dominant neuropathy. The American Journal of Medicine. 1998;104(3):232–7. Epub 1998/04/29.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Blum A, Sohar E. The diagnosis of amyloidosis. Ancillary procedures. Lancet. 1962;1(7232):721–4. Epub 1962/04/07.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Plante-Bordeneuve V, Said G. Familial amyloid polyneuropathy. Lancet Neurology. 2011;10(12):1086–97. Epub 2011/11/19.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Ferraresi S, Garozzo D, Bianchini E. Aggressive fibromatosis (desmoid tumor) of the radial nerve: favorable resolution. Case report. Journal of Neurosurgery. 2001;95(2):332–3. Epub 2002/01/10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Feld R, Burk Jr DL, McCue P, Mitchell DG, Lackman R, Rifkin MD. MRI of aggressive fibromatosis: frequent appearance of high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Magnetic resonance imaging. 1990;8(5):583–8. Epub 1990/01/01.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Lee JC, Thomas JM, Phillips S, Fisher C, Moskovic E. Aggressive fibromatosis: MRI features with pathologic correlation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2006;186(1):247–54. Epub 2005/12/17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Reilly MM, Murphy SM, Laura M. Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System: JPNS. 2011;16(1):1–14. Epub 2011/04/21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Sinclair CD, Miranda MA, Cowley P, Morrow JM, Davagnanam I, Mehta H, et al. MRI shows increased sciatic nerve cross sectional area in inherited and inflammatory neuropathies. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 2011;82(11):1283–6. Epub 2010/10/26.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Gaeta M, Mileto A, Mazzeo A, Minutoli F, Di Leo R, Settineri N, et al. MRI findings, patterns of disease distribution, and muscle fat fraction calculation in five patients with Charcot–Marie–Tooth type 2 F disease. Skeletal Radiol. 2011. Epub 2011/05/26.

  41. Yamashita T, Kwee TC, Takahara T. Whole-body magnetic resonance neurography. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;361(5):538–9. Epub 2009/07/31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Shy ME, Blake J, Krajewski K, Fuerst DR, Laura M, Hahn AF, et al. Reliability and validity of the CMT neuropathy score as a measure of disability. Neurology. 2005;64(7):1209–14. Epub 2005/04/13.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Gorson KC, Allam G, Ropper AH. Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: clinical features and response to treatment in 67 consecutive patients with and without a monoclonal gammopathy. Neurology. 1997;48(2):321–8. Epub 1997/02/01.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Koller H, Kieseier BC, Jander S, Hartung HP. Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2005;352(13):1343–56. Epub 2005/04/01.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Giudice LC, Kao LC. Endometriosis. Lancet. 2004;364(9447):1789–99. Epub 2004/11/16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Vinatier D, Orazi G, Cosson M, Dufour P. Theories of endometriosis. European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology. 2001;96(1):21–34. Epub 2001/04/20.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Yekeler E, Kumbasar B, Tunaci A, Barman A, Bengisu E, Yavuz E, et al. Cyclic sciatica caused by infiltrative endometriosis: MRI findings. Skeletal Radiol. 2004;33(3):165–8. Epub 2004/01/24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Pham M, Sommer C, Wessig C, Monoranu CM, Perez J, Stoll G, et al. Magnetic resonance neurography for the diagnosis of extrapelvic sciatic endometriosis. Fertility and Sterility. 2010;94(1):351 e11–4. Epub 2010/02/13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Han KJ, Lee YS, Lee DH, Chung NS. Intraneural ganglion in the digital nerve of the thumb: a case report. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery: JPRAS. 2011;64(12):e325–8. Epub 2011/06/28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Harbaugh KS, Tiel RL, Kline DG. Ganglion cyst involvement of peripheral nerves. Journal of Neurosurgery. 1997;87(3):403–8. Epub 1997/09/01.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Uetani M, Hashmi R, Hayashi K, Nagatani Y, Narabayashi Y, Imamura K. Peripheral nerve intraneural ganglion cyst: MR findings in three cases. Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography. 1998;22(4):629–32. Epub 1998/07/24.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Spinner RJ, Wang H. The first described joint-associated intraneural ganglion cyst. Neurosurgery. 2011;69(6):1291–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflicts of interest

Vibhor Wadhwa

The author reports no conflicts of interest.

Rashmi S Thakkar

The author reports no conflicts of interest.

Nicholas Maragakis

The author reports no conflicts of interest.

Ahmet Höke

The author reports no conflicts of interest.

Charlotte J Sumner

The author reports no conflicts of interest.

Thomas E Lloyd

The author reports no conflicts of interest.

John A Carrino

Dr. Carrino has research grants from Siemens Medical Solutions.

Allan J Belzberg

The author reports no conflicts of interest.

Avneesh Chhabra

Dr. Chhabra has research grants from GE-AUR (GERRAF), Siemens Medical Solutions and Integra Life Sciences. He also serves as a research consultant with Siemens CAD group.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Vibhor Wadhwa MD, Rashmi S. Thakkar MD, John A. Carrino MD, MPH & Avneesh Chhabra MD

  2. Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Nicholas Maragakis MD, Ahmet Höke MD, PhD, Charlotte J. Sumner MD & Thomas E. Lloyd MD

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Allan J. Belzberg MD

Authors
  1. Vibhor Wadhwa MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rashmi S. Thakkar MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nicholas Maragakis MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ahmet Höke MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Charlotte J. Sumner MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Thomas E. Lloyd MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. John A. Carrino MD, MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Allan J. Belzberg MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Avneesh Chhabra MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Avneesh Chhabra MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wadhwa, V., Thakkar, R.S., Maragakis, N. et al. Sciatic nerve tumor and tumor-like lesions—uncommon pathologies. Skeletal Radiol 41, 763–774 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-012-1384-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-012-1384-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation