Biomaterial Database

Natural history of radiation-induced brachial plexopathy compared with surgically treated patients. 1990

H E Killer, and K Hess

Department of Neurology, Kantonspital Aarau, Switzerland.

Twelve patients who developed radiation-induced brachial plexopathy (RIBP) after receiving radiation therapy for breast carcinoma (7 patients) or Hodgkin's lymphoma (5 patients) were followed for 12 or more years, with a mean follow-up time of 20 years. Tingling and numbness of the fingers as well as weakness of the hand or arm were the most prominent presenting symptoms of RIBP. Whereas pain in most patients evolved only later in the course, it became a predominant feature in only 2. In 8 of the 12 patients, the plexopathy was surgically treated, either by neurolysis only or by neurolysis plus omental grafting in order to stop progression or paresis and/or pain. In 8 patients, including 6 of the operated group, there was slow and steady progression of RIBP over time, with the final outcome being almost complete paralysis of the arm (2 patients) or severe sensorimotor paresis rendering the hand useless (6 patients). In only 4 patients, including 2 of the non-operated group, was there absence of progression and stabilization of the paresis with only slight functional loss of the affected arm in 3 patients and severe palsy in 1. None of the 12 patients had any clear long-lasting improvement of their sensorimotor impairment. It is concluded from this study that RIBP, irrespective of surgery (neurolysis and/or omentum transplant), left two-thirds of the patients with severe or total paresis of the arm. However, the almost complete relief of severe pain (6 of 8 patients), both immediately and in follow-up patients treated with neurolysis and/or omental transplant, indicates that surgical treatment has a beneficial effect on pain relief.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009422	Nervous System Diseases	Diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. This includes disorders of the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscle.	Neurologic Disorders,Nervous System Disorders,Neurological Disorders,Disease, Nervous System,Diseases, Nervous System,Disorder, Nervous System,Disorder, Neurologic,Disorder, Neurological,Disorders, Nervous System,Disorders, Neurologic,Disorders, Neurological,Nervous System Disease,Nervous System Disorder,Neurologic Disorder,Neurological Disorder
D010146	Pain	An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by NERVE ENDINGS of NOCICEPTIVE NEURONS.	Suffering, Physical,Ache,Pain, Burning,Pain, Crushing,Pain, Migratory,Pain, Radiating,Pain, Splitting,Aches,Burning Pain,Burning Pains,Crushing Pain,Crushing Pains,Migratory Pain,Migratory Pains,Pains, Burning,Pains, Crushing,Pains, Migratory,Pains, Radiating,Pains, Splitting,Physical Suffering,Physical Sufferings,Radiating Pain,Radiating Pains,Splitting Pain,Splitting Pains,Sufferings, Physical
D010291	Paresis	A general term referring to a mild to moderate degree of muscular weakness, occasionally used as a synonym for PARALYSIS (severe or complete loss of motor function). In the older literature, paresis often referred specifically to paretic neurosyphilis (see NEUROSYPHILIS). "General paresis" and "general paralysis" may still carry that connotation. Bilateral lower extremity paresis is referred to as PARAPARESIS.	Hemiparesis,Muscle Paresis,Brachial Paresis,Crural Paresis,Lower Extremity Paresis,Monoparesis,Muscular Paresis,Upper Extremity Paresis,Brachial Pareses,Crural Pareses,Extremity Pareses, Lower,Extremity Pareses, Upper,Extremity Paresis, Lower,Extremity Paresis, Upper,Hemipareses,Lower Extremity Pareses,Monopareses,Muscle Pareses,Muscular Pareses,Pareses,Pareses, Brachial,Pareses, Crural,Pareses, Lower Extremity,Pareses, Muscle,Pareses, Muscular,Pareses, Upper Extremity,Paresis, Brachial,Paresis, Crural,Paresis, Lower Extremity,Paresis, Muscle,Paresis, Muscular,Paresis, Upper Extremity,Upper Extremity Pareses
D011832	Radiation Injuries	Harmful effects of non-experimental exposure to ionizing or non-ionizing radiation in VERTEBRATES.	Radiation Sickness,Radiation Syndrome,Injuries, Radiation,Injury, Radiation,Radiation Injury,Radiation Sicknesses,Radiation Syndromes,Sickness, Radiation,Sicknesses, Radiation,Syndrome, Radiation,Syndromes, Radiation
D001917	Brachial Plexus	The large network of nerve fibers which distributes the innervation of the upper extremity. The brachial plexus extends from the neck into the axilla. In humans, the nerves of the plexus usually originate from the lower cervical and the first thoracic spinal cord segments (C5-C8 and T1), but variations are not uncommon.	Plexus, Brachial
D001943	Breast Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST.	Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D005069	Evaluation Studies as Topic	Works about studies that determine the effectiveness or value of processes, personnel, and equipment, or the material on conducting such studies.	Critique,Evaluation Indexes,Evaluation Methodology,Evaluation Report,Evaluation Research,Methodology, Evaluation,Pre-Post Tests,Qualitative Evaluation,Quantitative Evaluation,Theoretical Effectiveness,Use-Effectiveness,Critiques,Effectiveness, Theoretical,Evaluation Methodologies,Evaluation Reports,Evaluation, Qualitative,Evaluation, Quantitative,Evaluations, Qualitative,Evaluations, Quantitative,Indexes, Evaluation,Methodologies, Evaluation,Pre Post Tests,Pre-Post Test,Qualitative Evaluations,Quantitative Evaluations,Report, Evaluation,Reports, Evaluation,Research, Evaluation,Test, Pre-Post,Tests, Pre-Post,Use Effectiveness
D005260	Female		Females
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup