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Focal myositis presenting with radial nerve palsy
Author(s) -
Alzagatiti Bassam I.,
Bertorini Tulio E.,
Horner Linda H.,
Maccarino Virginia S.,
O'brien Thomas
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4598(199907)22:7<956::aid-mus25>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - medicine , myositis , differential diagnosis , radial nerve , magnetic resonance imaging , palsy , inflammatory pseudotumor , electromyography , muscle biopsy , biopsy , anatomy , pathology , radiology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , lesion , alternative medicine
Focal myositis is a rare inflammatory pseudotumor of skeletal muscle which usually has a benign course. We report a 56‐year‐old woman with a painful mass in the left arm with a radial nerve palsy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the left arm showed a mass in the triceps muscle that was suggestive of a soft‐tissue sarcoma. Electromyography showed a severe radial neuropathy involving both motor and sensory axons. An open biopsy showed focal myositis. Treatment with corticosteroids resulted in complete disappearance of the mass clinically and by MRI, without recurrence for more than 2 years. Radial nerve function also recovered completely. As a treatable cause of focal neuropathy, focal myositis should be included in the differential diagnosis of a muscle mass. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 22: 956–959, 1999