Sensory nerve conduction studies in neuralgic amyotrophy.

[neuralgic amyotrophy]

Neuralgic amyotrophy is a painful , episodic peripheral nerve disorder localized to the brachial plexus . Sensory symptoms occur in 80 % of the patients . We assessed the frequency of abnormalities in sensory nerve conduction studies of the lateral and medial antebrachial cutaneous , radial sensory , median sensory , and ulnar sensory nerves in 112 patients . Sensory nerve conduction studies showed abnormalities in <20 % of nerves , even when the nerve was clinically affected . The lateral and medial antebrachial cutaneous nerves were most often abnormal , in 15 % and 17 % of nerves . No correlation with the presence or localization of clinical deficits was found . Brachial plexus sensory nerve conduction studies seem to be of little diagnostic value in neuralgic amyotrophy . Our findings also indicate that some sensory lesions may be in the nerve roots instead of the plexus . An examination of normal sensory nerve conduction studies does not preclude neuralgic amyotrophy as a diagnosis .