Solitary Retroperitoneal Neurofibroma Associated With Deep Vein Thrombosis in a 40-Year-Old Male

Abstract

A neurofibroma is a benign, non-encapsulated neoplasm of the peripheral nerve sheath. These tumors are a notorious manifestation of the autosomal dominant condition known as neurofibromatosis type 1, where they present as multiple, cutaneous masses with high malignant potential. On the contrary, benign solitary retroperitoneal neurofibromas (SRN) occur without any associated conditions and have rarely been documented. Our case is of a 40-year-old male who presented with a three-month history of painful calf swelling, refractory to over-the-counter painkillers which was later diagnosed as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A computed tomography (CT) angiogram was done which revealed a mass in the retroperitoneum impinging on the inferior vena cava (IVC). Approximately one month later, the whole mass was surgically excised and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of a neurofibroma. This case presentation proved to be novel as it highlights the evaluation and management of a rare SRN which resulted in extensive DVT.

Retroperitoneal solitary neurofibroma mimicking lymph node metastasis of colon cancer: a case report

“…Shahid O et al reported a 40-year-old male who presented with a 3-month history of painful calf swelling. He was later diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis that resulted from a solitary retroperitoneal neurofibroma (75 mm) impinging on the inferior vena cava [ 8 ]. Krzysztof et al reported a 41-year-old man who complained of mild abdominal pain in the right lower quadrant.…”

“…Aggressive resection was needed for the retroperitoneal tumor because it co-occurred with other malignant tumors. Eleven cases of solitary retroperitoneal neurofibromas are listed in Pubmed (Table 2 ) [ 8 , 9 , 13 , 17 , 23 – 29 ] and no cases were diagnosed preoperatively. Mean age is 47.5 years old (33–73 years old) and mean tumor size is 127.5 mm (45–500 mm).…”