Swiss doctors have described a case of Parsonage-Turner syndrome occurring after infection with monkeypox; according to their data, such a case had only been described once before. A man in his 30s presented to doctors led by Filippo Gerber of the Lausanne University Hospital with severe shoulder pain and subsequent muscle atrophy for five months, beginning two weeks after being infected with monkeypox. His medical history included hepatitis C, epilepsy, and episodic drug use. The case is described in BMJ Case Reports.
Character-Turner syndrome, or neuralgic amyotrophy, is a rare peripheral nerve disorder characterized by acute, severe shoulder pain, weakness, and atrophy of the shoulder girdle and forearm muscles. Risk factors include infections: cases have been reported of the syndrome developing with coronavirus, parvovirus, and smallpox viruses. Examination revealed atrophy of the deltoid, triceps, and biceps muscles of the left shoulder and forearm. Muscle strength and reflexes in these and adjacent muscles were reduced. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging and electromyography of the left shoulder girdle, shoulder, and forearm muscles led doctors to the diagnosis of neuralgic amyotrophy. Rehabilitation with physical therapy helped relieve pain and restore muscle strength in the left upper limb.
