Phrenic Nerve Involvement in Neuralgic Amyotrophy (Parsonage-Turner Syndrome)

Abstract

Neuralgic amyotrophy is a poorly understood neuromuscular disorder affecting peripheral nerves mostly within the brachial plexus distribution but can also involve other sites including the phrenic nerve. In the classic form of the syndrome it causes proximal upper limb and neck pain on the affected side with subsequent muscle weakness that can be highly heterogeneous. Nocturnal noninvasive ventilation support is a first-line treatment after phrenic mononeuropathy. The regular monitoring of diaphragm function with spirometry and diaphragm ultrasound can help determine prognosis and inform decision-making.

Keywords: Brachial neuritis; Brachial plexus; Diaphragm muscle; Neuralgic amyotrophy; Neuromuscular respiratory weakness; Parsonage-Turner syndrome; Phrenic nerve; Phrenic neuropathy.