ABSTRACT
Peripheral nerve injuries after being struck by lightning have been documented. Here, we report a case of cauda equina syndrome induced by lightning. A 27-year-old man presented with numbness, a burning sensation in the saddle region, and increased urinary urgency after being struck by lightning. He had absent Achilles reflexes and paresthesia in the saddle region upon neurological examination, and magnetic resonance imaging of the spine was normal. Electrophysiological studies indicated involvement of bilateral L5, S1, and S2 myotomes and revealed cauda equina lesions.
Peripheral nerve injury induced by lightning is rare, and the evaluation of people with neurological complaints using electromyography will help determine the true incidence.
Subject(s)
Cauda Equina Syndrome , Cauda Equina , Lightning Injuries , Male , Humans , Adult , Cauda Equina Syndrome/etiology , Cauda Equina Syndrome/pathology , Lightning Injuries/complications , Lightning Injuries/pathology , Electromyography , Cauda Equina/diagnostic imaging , Cauda Equina/pathology , Magnetic Resonance ImagingABSTRACT
Neuralgic amyotrophy (NA), also known as Parsonage-Turner syndrome or idiopathic brachial plexopathy, is a multifocal inflammatory neuropathy that usually affects the upper limbs. The classic picture is a patient with acute onset of asymmetric upper extremity symptoms, excruciating pain, rapid onset of multifocal paresis often involving winged scapula, and a monophasic course of the disease.
We present an unusual case of recurrent NA characterized first by right brachial plexitis and then isolated left posterior interosseous nerve palsy.
