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Late appearance of dropped head syndrome after radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease
Author(s) -
Rowin Julie,
Cheng Grace,
Lewis Steven L.,
Meriggioli Matthew N.
Publication year - 2006
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/mus.20623
Subject(s) - medicine , radiation therapy , complication , atrophy , surgery , mediastinum , cervical lymph nodes , head and neck , radiology , pathology , metastasis , cancer
We present three cases of dropped head syndrome that occurred as a complication of mantle field (i.e., lymph nodes of the neck, axillae, and mediastinum) or whole‐body radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease. These cases are characterized by a late onset (2–27 years after radiation treatment), fibrosis, and contraction of the anterior cervical muscles, and atrophy of the posterior neck and shoulder girdle. This report adds to the increasing literature about the late neurological complications of radiation therapy and describes a previously unrecognized cause of dropped head syndrome. Muscle Nerve, 2006