Long thoracic nerve injury due to an electric burn.

A 19-year-old white man was burned over 7.5% of his body when he sustained an electric injury from a transformer. There was no associated fall or loss of consciousness. Debridement and grafting were required. The patient had some transient weakness of the muscles of his right arm associated with lower cervical nerve-root injury. This subsequently improved. He also was found to have paralysis of the serratus anterior muscle, with winging of the scapula due to long thoracic nerve injury. This has not improved. A surgical procedure suggested to improve function of the shoulder was rejected by the patient. This is only the second case reported of long thoracic nerve injury due to an electric burn of which we are aware.