Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Brief Clinical Note

Radial nerve palsy as a presenting feature of neuralgic amyotrophy

Hirofumi Tsuboi, M.D.1), Naoto Sugeno, Ph.D.1), Ayumi Nishiyama, M.D.1), Maki Tateyama, Ph.D.1) and Masashi Aoki, Ph.D.1)

1)Department of Neurology, Tohoku University School of Medicine

A 28-year-old man noticed weakness in his left arm when he woke up. He was diagnosed as left radial nerve palsy and managed conservatively at a local hospital. A few days later, severe pain of the brachium appeared. Although severe pain improved in a year, dysesthesia and muscle atrophy remained. On admission, muscle weakness and atrophy were found in muscles innervated predominantly by the left radial nerve. In addition, needle-electromyography and computed tomography revealed the involvement of muscles innervated by the left suprascapular, long thoracic and axillary nerves, and we diagnosed the patient as neuralgic amyotrophy. Neuralgic amyotrophy should be kept in mind in diagnosing acute onset, painful radial palsy.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (2217K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 53: 312|315, 2013)
key words: neuralgic amyotrophy, radial nerve, brachial plexus neuropathy, mononeuritis multiplex

(Received: 25-Jul-12)