Brachial plexopathy

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Central nervous system

Neuropathy - brachial plexus; Brachial plexus dysfunction; Parsonage Turner syndrome

• Numbness of the shoulder, arm, or hand
• Shoulder pain
• Tingling, burning, pain, or abnormal sensations (location depends on the area injured)
• Weakness of the shoulder, arm, hand, or wrist

An exam of the arm, hand and wrist can reveal a problem with the nerves of the brachial plexus. Signs may include:

• Deformity of the arm or hand
• Difficulty moving the shoulder, arm, hand, or fingers
• Diminished arm reflexes
• Wasting of the muscles
• Weakness of hand flexing

A detailed history may help determine the cause of the brachial plexopathy. Age and gender are important because some brachial plexus problems are more common in certain group. For example, young men more often have inflammatory or post-viral brachial plexus disease called Parsonage Turner syndrome.

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Tests that may be done to diagnose this condition may include:

• Blood tests
• Chest x-ray
• Electromyogram (EMG)
• MRI of the head, neck, and shoulder
• Nerve conduction tests
• Nerve biopsy (rarely needed)

Review Date: 09/28/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).