Postprocedural Brachial Neuritis: Clinical, Electrodiagnostic, and Neuroimaging Features.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Brachial neuritis is an acute condition affecting the brachial plexus, causing pain and weakness.
• It can occur after medical procedures like surgery.
• Delayed diagnosis is common, necessitating accurate imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze clinical, electrodiagnostic, and neuroimaging features of postprocedural brachial neuritis.
• To highlight the role of MR neurography in diagnosing this condition.
• To raise awareness among neuroradiologists about this entity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of six patients with postprocedural brachial neuritis.
• Inclusion of clinical, electrodiagnostic, and MR neurography data.
• Focus on identifying characteristic imaging findings.

Main Results:

• Six patients underwent procedures including cervical spine surgery and rotator cuff repair.
• All patients showed electrodiagnostic and MR neurography findings consistent with brachial neuritis.
• MR neurography revealed plexus abnormalities, C5/C6 root/upper trunk involvement, and hourglass constrictions in some cases.

Conclusions:

• Postprocedural brachial neuritis is an under-recognized cause of upper extremity symptoms.
• MR neurography is crucial for diagnosis, excluding iatrogenic causes, and identifying nerve constrictions.
• Awareness of this condition and its imaging findings is vital for diagnostic neuroradiologists.