Cervical radiculopathy, entrapment neuropathy, and thoracic outlet syndrome: how to differentiate? Invited submission from the Joint Section Meeting on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, March 2004.

[neuralgic amyotrophy]

The common diagnoses of cervical radiculopathy and upper -extremity entrapment neuropathies can at times be difficult to differentiate . Additionally , thoracic outlet syndrome is often diagnosed when , in fact , the problem is radiculopathy or neuropathy . Another source of confusion , especially in older patients , is neuralgic amyotrophy , brachial plexitis , or the Parsonage-Turner syndrome . The differential diagnosis of unilateral arm pain , weakness , and /or sensory loss includes all of these problems . The clinical and electrodiagnostic features of each are discussed as an aid to distinguishing between these common and similar entities .

Diseases
Validation

Diseases presenting "weakness" symptom

achondroplasia

adrenomyeloneuropathy

alexander disease

aniridia

aromatase deficiency

coats disease

congenital toxoplasmosis

epidermolysis bullosa simplex

esophageal adenocarcinoma

familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia

familial mediterranean fever

focal myositis

gm1 gangliosidosis

hydrocephalus with stenosis of the aqueduct of sylvius

inclusion body myositis

locked-in syndrome

lymphangioleiomyomatosis

malignant atrophic papulosis

neuralgic amyotrophy

pendred syndrome

pleomorphic liposarcoma

pyomyositis

pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency

sneddon syndrome

systemic capillary leak syndrome

thoracic outlet syndrome

triple a syndrome

typhoid

von hippel-lindau disease

waldenström macroglobulinemia

werner syndrome

x-linked adrenoleukodystrophy

This symptom has already been validated