Brachial plexitis: an unusual presentation in sickle cell disease

Abstract

Brachial plexitis is defined as an inflammation of the brachial plexus. There are two entities of the disease: idiopathic, which is generally considered to be immune-mediated, and genetic. The disease manifests as the acute onset shoulder pain, weakness of the involving arm ± sensory loss. Brachial plexitis is also known as Parsonage–Turner syndrome and hereditary neuralgic amyotrophy. Diagnosis is made with the help of history, physical exam, and imaging. Conservative management is the mainstay of treatment. There has not been any proven treatment for the condition though some cases have been treated empirically with steroids. We present a case of 61-year-old woman with sickle cell anemia who presented with right upper extremity weakness and MRI findings of brachial plexitis.

Keywords

• brachial plexitis
• sickle cell disease
• lower motor neuron