title: Chronic demyelinating hypertrophic brachial plexus neuropathy.
abstract: A patient with unilateral, painless, chronic progressive upper limb sensorimotor deficit showed electrophysiological evidence of a focal demyelinating neuropathy with almost complete conduction block across the brachial plexus. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed marked brachial plexus hypertrophy. Intravenous immunoglobulin led to fast and complete recovery, maintained by intermittent perfusions. Hypertrophic brachial plexus neuropathy can be a presentation of focal chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. Objective and quantitative assessment of hand function is useful to evaluate treatment results and to optimize treatment regimens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, University of Louvain, 10 Avenue Hippocrate, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium. vandenbergh@nchm.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Van den Bergh
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Thonnard
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Duprez
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Laterre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000503:physiopathology; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins