Severe multiple mononeuropathy in patients with major thermal burns.
Multiple mononeuropathy after thermal burns covering greater than 40% total body surface area occurred in nine of 121 of our burn center admissions for an incidence of 7.4%. The number of nerves involved per patient ranged from three to seven, with the average being 4.9. Upper-extremity nerves were more commonly involved than were lower extremity nerves (33 versus 11). All patients had burns over the involved areas. The source was believed to be due to a multiple crush syndrome, in which multiple different neuropathic factors in each patient summate to cause a multiple mononeuropathy. The outcome with conservative treatment was variable, with lower-extremity nerve lesions having a very good outcome and upper-extremity lesions not having as good an outcome, particularly when the median nerve was affected.
Dagum
A B
AB
Ross Tilley Burn Centre, Wellesley Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Peters
W J
WJ
Neligan
P C
PC
Douglas
L G
LG
D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications*; D004576:Electromyography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome