[Neuralgic shoulder amyotrophy as differential diagnosis of scapula alata]

We describe two patients with neuraligic amyotrophia of the shoulder: a 15 year old boy and a girl which was 6 years old at the time of primary manifestation. Mostly adolescent patients are concerned. Beginning is acute, the etiology unclear. The patients initially feel intensive pain in one shoulder, which typically is followed by motorical weekness of the proximal upper arm and the shoulder. Nearly all patients reach a restitutio ad integrum after some months. As differential diagnosis we have to take into account the facio-scapulo-humeral muscular dystrophy, pareses of single or various nerves or a neurititis of infectious origin.