Background: Retroperitoneal schwannomas are rare, usually benign tumors that originate in the neural sheath and account for only a small percentage of retroperitoneal tumors. The aim of this clinical study is to present our experience in managing retroperitoneal schwannomas with a review of the current literature and to point out the surgical technical difficulties we faced, due to the tumor's strange behavior that eroded the vertebra in two cases without causing malignant invasion.

The purpose of this study was to correlate the effectiveness of preoperative embolization with the blood loss and transfusion requirement during surgery for bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma. Twenty-eight preoperative embolizations in 26 patients with renal cell carcinoma metastatic to bone were retrospectively evaluated and divided into two groups: Group A included the embolizations that resulted in complete devascularization of the lesion as defined by the post-embolization arteriograms, and group B included those with an incomplete result. The two groups were compared with regard to blood loss and transfusion requirement during surgery, by unpaired two-tailed Student's t-test. Where complete embolization was effected (group A, 10 cases), there was a mean blood loss of 535 +/- 390 ml. When a less than complete embolization was achieved (group B, 18 cases), the mean blood loss was 1.247 +/- 1.047 ml (p = 0.049). The red blood cell transfusion in group A was 1.3 +/- 1 units, whereas in group B it was 2.4 +/- 1.2 (p = 0.03). Preoperative embolization of bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma with subsequent complete devascularization leads to significant reduction of blood loss during surgery. Interventional radiologists should pursue and embolize every feeder to the metastasis, because any less than complete devascularization increases the amount of blood loss and the amount of red blood cell transfusion during surgery.

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Persistent sciatic artery (PSA), a persistent embryologic continuation of the internal iliac artery, represents a rare yet clinically important vascular anomaly. PSA is prone to aneurysmal change, which can subsequently lead to distal embolization, sciatic neuropathy, or rupture. The conventional surgical treatment of PSA aneurysms is commonly complex and carries the risk for sciatic nerve damage. We report herein the successful endovascular management of a PSA aneurysm and postaneurysmal stenosis with the use of two overlapping self-expanding stent-grafts via a contralateral transfemoral approach. Additionally, a review of the literature regarding the treatment of these unusual peripheral aneurysms is provided.