Resolution of Brachial Plexus Palsy Due to Hemangioma After Intravenous Corticosteroid Therapy

• Published in: Journal of child neurology 2008-08, Vol.23 (8), p.956-958
• Main Authors: Naqvi, Ali H., Alfonso, Daniel T., Flores, Patricia, Grossman, John A. I., Restrepo, Ricardo, Alfonso, Israel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Arm - innervation; Brachial Plexus Neuropathies - drug therapy; Brachial Plexus Neuropathies - etiology; Female; Head and Neck Neoplasms - complications; Head and Neck Neoplasms - drug therapy; Hemangioma, Cavernous - complications; Hemangioma, Cavernous - drug therapy; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infusions, Intravenous; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate - administration & dosage; Scalp; Skin Neoplasms - complications; Skin Neoplasms - drug therapy
• ISSN: 0883-0738; 1708-8283
• DOI: 10.1177/0883073808315346

The authors report a 7-day-old girl born with a hemangioma involving the right side of the scalp and neck who developed ipsilateral brachial plexus palsy at 5 days of age. Imaging studies confirmed the presence of a cavernous hemangioma in the vicinity of the brachial plexus. She was treated with intravenous corticosteroids and her palsy resolved in 5 days. Only 1 prior case of hemangioma producing brachial plexus palsy has been reported; this patient was not treated with corticosteroids and had a partial recovery. The authors believe that the quick recovery after initiating systemic steroids was due to relief of nerve compression (neuropraxia) resulting from shrinkage of the cavernous hemangioma. The purpose of this article is to describe an uncommon cause of neonatal brachial plexus palsy and to report the effectiveness of early intravenous corticosteroid treatment in a patient with brachial plexus palsy due to a cavernous hemangioma.