TY - JOUR
T1 - Shoulder numbness in a patient with suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome
T2 - Cutaneous branch of the suprascapular nerve: Case report
AU - Harbaugh, Kimberly S.
AU - Swenson, Rand
AU - Saunders, Richard L.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: The ability to diagnose peripheral nerve disorders is dependent on knowledge of the anatomic course and function of the nerves in question. The classic teaching regarding the suprascapular nerve (SScN) is that it has no cutaneous branches, despite the fact that a cutaneous branch was first reported in the anatomic literature 20 years ago. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We describe a case of a 35-year-old male patient who presented with right shoulder pain and atrophy and weakness of the right supra- and infraspinatus muscles. During the examination, he was also noted to have an area of numbness involving the right upper lateral shoulder region. Electrical study results were consistent with SScN entrapment at the suprascapular notch. INTERVENTION: The patient underwent surgical decompression 7 months after the onset of his symptoms. The patient noted resolution of his shoulder pain immediately after the procedure, and his shoulder sensory disturbance had improved by 2 weeks. At 9 months after surgery, he remained pain-free, his shoulder sensation was normal, and his motor abnormalities had improved significantly. CONCLUSION: This case provides clinical evidence for the presence of a cutaneous branch of the SScN, as described in cadaveric studies. Although shoulder numbness demands a search for alternative diagnoses, it does not necessarily exclude the diagnosis of SScN entrapment.
AB - OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: The ability to diagnose peripheral nerve disorders is dependent on knowledge of the anatomic course and function of the nerves in question. The classic teaching regarding the suprascapular nerve (SScN) is that it has no cutaneous branches, despite the fact that a cutaneous branch was first reported in the anatomic literature 20 years ago. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We describe a case of a 35-year-old male patient who presented with right shoulder pain and atrophy and weakness of the right supra- and infraspinatus muscles. During the examination, he was also noted to have an area of numbness involving the right upper lateral shoulder region. Electrical study results were consistent with SScN entrapment at the suprascapular notch. INTERVENTION: The patient underwent surgical decompression 7 months after the onset of his symptoms. The patient noted resolution of his shoulder pain immediately after the procedure, and his shoulder sensory disturbance had improved by 2 weeks. At 9 months after surgery, he remained pain-free, his shoulder sensation was normal, and his motor abnormalities had improved significantly. CONCLUSION: This case provides clinical evidence for the presence of a cutaneous branch of the SScN, as described in cadaveric studies. Although shoulder numbness demands a search for alternative diagnoses, it does not necessarily exclude the diagnosis of SScN entrapment.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033659962&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033659962&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/00006123-200012000-00041
DO - 10.1097/00006123-200012000-00041
M3 - Article
C2 - 11126919
AN - SCOPUS:0033659962
SN - 0148-396X
VL - 47
SP - 1452
EP - 1456
JO - Neurosurgery
JF - Neurosurgery
IS - 6
ER -