Recurrent vocal fold paralysis and parsonage-turner syndrome.

[neuralgic amyotrophy]

Background . Parsonage-Turner syndrome , or neuralgic amyotrophy (NA ), is an acute brachial plexus neuritis that typically presents with unilateral shoulder pain and amyotrophy but also can affect other peripheral nerves , including the recurrent laryngeal nerve . Idiopathic vocal fold paralysis (VFP ) represents approximately 12 % of the VFP cases and recurrence is extremely rare . Methods and Results . We report a man with isolated recurrent unilateral right VFP and a diagnosis of NA years before . Conclusions . We emphasize that shoulder pain and amyotrophy should be inquired in any patient suffering from inexplicable dysphonia , and Parsonage-Turner syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of idiopathic VFP .