Title: Parsonage Turner syndrome<br/>Author: Brian Corwell<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/294/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><p>
<strong><span style="font-size:16px;">Parsonage Turner syndrome aka Neuralgic amyotrophy</span></strong></p>
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30 cases per 100,000</p>
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Under recognized and often missed</p>
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Unknown cause, perhaps post viral. Also reported post stress (surgery, pregnancy)</p>
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Can be B/L in 10 to 30%</p>
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CC: sudden onset of severe pain in the shoulder.</p>
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Can last for hours to weeks.</p>
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Radiates to upper arm.</p>
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As pain begins to subside, muscle weakness and sensory loss follows.</p>
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Can preferentially involve the suprascapular and axillary nerve.</p>
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Outpatient workup may include MRI and EMG</p>
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Treatment: Supportive. Consider a trial of oral steroids. Provide good pain control.</p>
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Majority of patients improve within 3 months. Though up to a third have persistent pain/functional deficit.</p>