title: Clinical, Electrophysiological Findings in Adult Patients with Non-traumatic Plexopathies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain the etiology of non-traumatic plexopathy and clarify the clinical, electrophysiological characteristics according to its etiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective analysis of 63 non-traumatic plexopathy patients that had been diagnosed by nerve conduction studies (NCS) and needle electromyography (EMG). Clinical, electrophysiological, imaging findings were obtained from medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 36 cases with brachial plexopathy (BP) and 27 cases with lumbosacral plexopathy (LSP). The causes of plexopathy were neoplastic (36.1%), thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) (25.0%), radiation induced (16.7%), neuralgic amyotrophy (8.3%), perioperative (5.6%), unknown (8.3%) in BP, while neoplastic (59.3%), radiation induced (22.2%), neuralgic amyotrophy (7.4%), psoas muscle abscess (3.7%), and unknown (7.4%) in LSP. In neoplastic plexopathy, pain presented as the first symptom in most patients (82.8%), with the lower trunk of the brachial plexus predominantly involved. In radiation induced plexopathy (RIP), pain was a common initial symptom, but the proportion was smaller (50%), and predominant involvements of bilateral lumbosacral plexus and whole trunk of brachial or lumbosacral plexus were characteristic. Myokymic discharges were noted in 41.7% patients with RIP. Abnormal NCS finding in the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve was the most sensitive to diagnose TOS. Neuralgic amyotrophy of the brachial plexus showed upper trunk involvement in all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By integrating anatomic, pathophysiologic knowledge with detailed clinical assessment and the results of ancillary studies, physicians can make an accurate diagnosis and prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Kiljun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Duk Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Min Jae
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Moon Ju
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Jong Gul
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Hyuk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sunwoo
authors.forename: Tae Gun
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Jung Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Yoonhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Park