Parsonage-Turner syndrome revealing Lyme borreliosis.

[neuralgic amyotrophy]

Parsonage-Turner syndrome , also known as acute brachial neuritis or neuralgic amyotrophy , can be caused by various infectious agents . We report on four patients who experienced Parsonage-Turner syndrome as the first manifestation of Lyme disease . The clinical picture was typical , with acute shoulder pain followed rapidly by weakness and wasting of the shoulder girdle muscles . Electrophysiological testing showed denervation . A single patient reported erythema chronicum migrans after a tick bite . Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid showed lymphocytosis and protein elevation in 3 patients . Serological tests for Lyme disease were positive in the serum in all 4 patients and in the cerebrospinal fluid in 2 patients . Antibiotic therapy ensured a favorable outcome in all 4 cases . Two patients achieved a full recovery within 6 months . Parsonage-Turner syndrome should be added to the list of manifestations of neuroborreliosis . Serological tests for Lyme disease should be performed routinely in patients with Parsonage-Turner syndrome .