title: [Plexus neuropathy: tumor infiltration or radiation damage].
abstract: Plexus neuropathies often occur in patients with breast cancer after varying periods following surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. In most cases this has been ascribed to radiation fibrosis. The attempt to arrive at a clinical diagnosis fails because of the similarity of symptoms in both cases namely pain and the absence of motoric and sensory reflexes. But a clear diagnosis is of fundamental importance for further treatment. Only a surgical intervention can verify the diagnosis. In this study, the results of operative findings are presented and compared with a second group of patients who had died of breast cancer having undergone surgery and radiotherapy. The findings brought a surprising fact to light: a considerably high percentage of all patients suffered from large scale tumour infiltration in the plexus. The morphology and histopathology of these lesions are described. Possible explanations are given for the difference in lesion patterns, so that a clinical diagnosis might be derived therefrom.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Strahlentherapie, Innsbruck.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ebner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anderl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mikuz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frommhold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects
vernacular_title: Plexusneuropathie: Tumorinfiltration oder Strahlenschaden.