Background Acute brachial plexitis is an acute idiopathic inflammatory disease affecting brachial plexus, which is characterized by initial severe pain in shoulder followed by profound weakness of affected arm. This is a retrospective study to evaluate the clinical and electrophysiological profile of acute brachial plexitis. Methods: Sixteen patients with acute brachial plexitis were sampled. The electrodiagnostic studies included motor and sensory nerve conduction studies (NCSs) of the median and ulnar, sensory NCSs of medial and lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerves, and needle electromyography (EMG) of selected muscles of upper extremities and cervical paraspinal muscles. The studies were performed on both sides irrespective of the clinical involvement. Results: In most of our patient, upper trunk was predominantly affected (14 patients, 87.50%). Only two patients showed either predominant lower trunk affection or diffuse affection of brachial plexus. All had an acute pain followed by the development of muscle weakness of shoulder girdle after a variable interval (7
Patients of chronic alcoholism may show many kinds of complications such as myopathy, nutritional problems,peripheral neuropathy, withdrawal seizure and encephalopathies. We report an unusual case of alcoholic myopathy diagnosed with typical laboratory and pathological findings initially manifested as acute reversible encephalopathy showing transient abnormalities on brain MRI.