Glenoid cysts mimicking cervical radiculopathy.
METHODS
Patients are often referred for the evaluation of neck or radiating shoulder or arm pain who are suspected of having a possible cervical spine origin of their symptoms. Careful evaluation may show ganglion cysts of the glenohumeral joint mimicking symptoms of cervical radiculopathy.


OBJECTIVE
To present a series of patients in whom cysts originating from the glenohumeral joint caused symptoms mimicking cervical radiculopathy.


BACKGROUND
Suprascapular nerve entrapment in the suprascapular notch by ganglion cysts from the glenohumeral joint has been described as the source of vague radicular symptoms. This paper presents a series of patients referred to a spine practice for the evaluation of cervical radiculopathy who actually had glenoid cysts mimicking cervical radiculopathy.


METHODS
Three hundred forty-two patients were evaluated for cervical radiculopathy; of these, eight had glenoid cysts that were the source of the patients' symptoms.


RESULTS
All eight patients had a positive shoulder impingement sign, or, in all, symptoms were temporarily relieved with intra-articular lidocaine injection. Four of the eight patients had abnormal electromyelography and nerve conduction velocity for suprascapular nerve compression. Magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder was diagnostic in all eight patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Proper evaluation of the shoulder must be done because it may mimic symptoms of cervical radiculopathy.
Uppal
G S
GS
Orthopaedic Medical Group of Riverside, Clinical Faculty, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Riverside, California, USA.
Uppal
J A
JA
Dwyer
A P
AP
D000328:Adult; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D012785:Shoulder Joint; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots