The syndrome of Parsonage and Turner. Discussion of clinical features with a review of 8 cases.

A clinical analysis of 8 patients with brachial plexus neuropathy is presented. The disease may involve the upper, the lower, or the entire plexus. There is a higher incidence in men than in women. The syndrome is not uncommon but is frequently diagnosed incorrectly. The fairly typical pattern of symptoms and signs includes sudden onset with severe pain along one side of the shoulder girdle, followed in a few hours or days by atrophic paralysis of muscles over the affected shoulder. The disorder is occasionally bilateral. The paresis persists for months or even years. The overall prognosis is excellent despite the severity and extent of the lesion. The etiology is unknown, but decreased physical resistance is a predisposing factor.