Rhabdomyolysis resulting in concurrent Horner’s syndrome and brachial plexopathy: a case report

This case report describes a 29-year-old male who presented with immediate onset of Horner’s syndrome and ipsilateral brachial plexopathy after sleeping with his arm dangling outside a car window for 8 h. Outside workup and imaging revealed rhabdomyolysis of the left neck musculature. Subsequent ele...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Skeletal radiology 2017-08, Vol.46 (8), p.1131-1136
Main Authors: Lee, Susan C., Geannette, Christian, Wolfe, Scott W., Feinberg, Joseph H., Sneag, Darryl B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anatomy
Brachial Plexus Neuropathies - diagnostic imaging
Brachial Plexus Neuropathies - etiology
Case Report
Case reports
High resolution
Horner Syndrome - diagnostic imaging
Horner Syndrome - etiology
Humans
Imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Neck
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Nuclear Medicine
Orthopedics
Pathology
Radiology
Rhabdomyolysis
Rhabdomyolysis - complications
Rhabdomyolysis - diagnostic imaging
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Summary:This case report describes a 29-year-old male who presented with immediate onset of Horner’s syndrome and ipsilateral brachial plexopathy after sleeping with his arm dangling outside a car window for 8 h. Outside workup and imaging revealed rhabdomyolysis of the left neck musculature. Subsequent electrodiagnostic testing and high-resolution brachial plexus magnetic resonance imaging at the authors’ institution attributed the Horner’s syndrome and concurrent brachial plexopathy to rhabdomyolysis of the longus colli and scalene musculature, which had compressed—and consequently scar tethered—the cervical sympathetic trunk and brachial plexus. This case of co-existent Horner’s syndrome and brachial plexopathy demonstrates the role of high-resolution brachial plexus MRI in diagnosing plexopathy and the importance of being familiar with plexus and paravertebral muscle anatomy.
ISSN:0364-2348
1432-2161
DOI:10.1007/s00256-017-2634-5