A Case of Brachial Plexus Neuropathies Following Herpes Zoster Infection Suggested by MRI Findings

Case Report

J Korean Assoc EMG Electrodiagn Med 2017;19(1):15-18.
Published online June 30, 2017.

Received: 19 September 2016 • Revised: 13 December 2016 • Accepted: 21 December 2016

Abstract

Shingles (herpes zoster) is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters involving a limited area. It is relatively common in elderly people. However, zoster paresis is a rare complication with focal motor weakness due to herpes zoster. Zoster paresis could be induced by the injury of the root, plexus, or peripheral nerves. We report an 80-year-old woman with left arm weakness after herpes zoster. The electrophysiological findings were consistent with the left brachial plexopathy and three consecutive coronal T2 Short T1 Inversion Recovery (STIR) images show that left C5, C6, and C7 nerves are much thicker than right ones and have high signal, which is suggesting edema in left brachial plexus and are compatible with left brachial plexus neuropathies. This case reveals that MRI can be useful for the diagnosis of zoster paresis as well as electrophysiological study.

Key Words: herpes zoster, brachial plexus neuropathies, magnetic resonance imaging