Information concerning recent diagnosis

[Richard-M]

  Iam a 48 year old male with no previous medical prolems anywhere related to my current diognsis. I tripped and stumbled twisting my left foot outward tearing the medial meniscus and straining my hip. First reports of left knee MRI showed tear. After knee surgury left hip and lower back pain did not subside.  MRI of lower lumbar one year after initial injury shows large gadolinium-enhancing L2-3 foraminal mass.  Vertebral alignment is normal.  This is of medium intensity on T1W and becomes fairly high intensity, though not of CSFquality,  on T2W.  It displaces the rest of the foraminal anatomic structures and encroaches on the thecal sac.  The disc space at this level is unremarkable.  There is no obvious bony erosion or aggressive characteristics associated with it.  The remaining discs and bony elements, as well as the marrow signal character are normal at all levels. Two doctors have said is probably a benign neural origin tumor, possibly a Schwannoma, neurafibroma ect.  Surgury is suggested to remove tumor. I have several questions.  Could the currant pain in my hip, knee and back be a result of the tumor? I still have pain and swelling in the left knee 9 months after surgury. Could the tumor be a factor in this? I had not noticed any pain in the hip and back before the accident. Could I have also done soft tissue damage in the hip at the time of the accident and it be agrivating the tumor if the tumor was already present before the accident, because I have been told that these types of tumors can grow in months or years? I am trying to figure out an approach to treatment. Would an MRI of the hip possibly put a piece of the pie in place to get a better picture?  Would another MRI of the left knee possibly also answer the current pain and swelling if done after MRI on hip? I am over come by what appears to be a lot of unanswered qquestions and guesses on my currant medical treatment. Any help would be appreciated.
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