Review Article - Current Pediatric Research (2017) Volume 21, Issue 2

Idiopathic brachial neuritis in children

Brachial plexopathy is a rare disorder in children, which can occur as a result of trauma, inflammation, vasculitis or malignancies. Idiopathic Brachial Neuritis (IBN) is a rare neurologic disorder that affects mainly the lower motor neurons of brachial plexus and/ or individual nerves or nerve branches. It is often preceded by antecedent events such as infection or immunization and commonly present with a triad of abrupt onset painful unilateral upper limb (frequently right-sided) and neck weakness followed by flaccid paralysis with associated wasting around the shoulder girdle and arm muscles. The diagnosis is made clinically, with MRI or electromyography reserved for less clear-cut cases. The longterm prognosis for children is better than adults. Here, the author will focus on paediatric phenotype IBN aiming to increase awareness of clinician to its treatment, prognosis, and important differential diagnosis such as hereditary neuralgic amyotrophy, asthmatic amyotrophy (Hopkins syndrome), osteomyelitis-associated neuritis and reemphanise it as a differential diagnosis in children with unexplained monoparesis.

Author(s): Amal Y Kentab

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