BACKGROUND: Traumatic shoulder dislocation is a frequent condition presenting to the emergency department. Due to the anatomy of the shoulder, associated neurovascular damage is not uncommon. Although clinical intuition may suggest that a higher-energy mechanism is required to produce neurovascular sequelae, the existing literature does not support this supposition. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a complete brachial plexus palsy from an acute anterior shoulder dislocation following a violent sneeze. The shoulder was reduced without difficulty in the emergency department within 90 min of dislocation, and the patient was discharged. Her neurologic deficits gradually improved through a program of supervised therapy and orthopedic care. Follow-up at 1 year revealed marked improvement of motor and sensory function of the affected extremity with mild residual weakness and paresthesias in the affected hand. CONCLUSION: Neurovascular injuries in the setting of shoulder dislocation may be present despite low-energy injury mechanisms.
CITATION STYLE
Middleton, A. H., Roffers, J., & Ziegler, D. W. (2019). Complete brachial plexus palsy following shoulder dislocation due to sneeze: a case report. International Journal of Emergency Medicine, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-019-0245-8
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