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A strange case of dyspnoea
Agostino Gaudio1, Andrea Ruben Murabito1, Anastasia Xourafa1
1Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Italy.
Respiratory Medicine Case Reports
|August 7, 2019
Summary
Parsonage-Turner syndrome, a rare nerve disorder, can cause sudden shoulder pain and, less commonly, breathing difficulties due to phrenic nerve involvement. Corticosteroids may help but do not always ensure full recovery.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Acquired neuralgic amyotrophy, also known as Parsonage-Turner syndrome, is a rare idiopathic neurological disorder.
- It typically presents with sudden, severe unilateral shoulder pain, potentially radiating to the neck and arm.
- While brachial plexus involvement is common, rarer cases affect other nerves, such as the phrenic nerve.
Observation:
- This report details a case of a 45-year-old man experiencing acute dyspnea (shortness of breath).
- The dyspnea was preceded by severe neck and right shoulder pain, consistent with neuralgic amyotrophy.
- The patient's symptoms were clinically assessed and supported by electrodiagnostic studies.
Findings:
- The patient presented with symptoms suggestive of phrenic nerve involvement secondary to neuralgic amyotrophy, leading to dyspnea.
- Treatment with corticosteroids was initiated.
- While corticosteroid therapy provided some clinical improvement, it did not result in complete resolution of symptoms.
Implications:
- This case highlights the potential for neuralgic amyotrophy to affect the phrenic nerve, causing respiratory compromise.
- It underscores the importance of considering neuralgic amyotrophy in the differential diagnosis of acute dyspnea, especially when accompanied by shoulder and neck pain.
- The findings suggest that while corticosteroids can be beneficial, complete recovery may not always be achieved, warranting further investigation into management strategies.
