Radiation-Induced Radiculopathy with Paresis of the Neck and Autochthonous Back Muscles with Additional Myopathy

• Published in: Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie Vol. 84; no. 6; p. 363
• Main Authors: Ellrichmann, G, Lukas, C, Adamietz, I A, Grunwald, C, Schneider-Gold, C, Gold, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01.06.2016
• Subjects: Adult; Back Muscles - innervation; Comorbidity; Diagnosis, Differential; Dose Fractionation; Electromyography; Hodgkin Disease - pathology; Hodgkin Disease - radiotherapy; Humans; Lymph Nodes - radiation effects; Male; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal - diagnosis; Muscular Dystrophies - diagnosis; Neck Muscles - innervation; Neoplasm Staging; Neurologic Examination - radiation effects; Paresis - diagnosis; Particle Accelerators; Photons - adverse effects; Photons - therapeutic use; Polyradiculopathy - diagnosis; Radiation Injuries - diagnosis; Radiculopathy - diagnosis; Radiotherapy Dosage; Spinal Curvatures - diagnosis; Spinal Nerve Roots - radiation effects; Spleen - radiation effects
• ISSN: 1439-3522
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-108195

Radiation-induced tissue damage is caused by ionizing radiation mainly affecting the skin, vascular, neuronal or muscle tissue. Early damages occur within weeks and months while late damages may occur months or even decades after radiation.Radiation-induced paresis of the spine or the trunk muscles with camptocormia or dropped-head syndrome are rare but have already been described as long-term sequelae after treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma. The differential diagnosis includes limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, fascioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) or lysosomal storage diseases (e. g. Acid Maltase Deficiency). We present the case of a patient with long lasting diagnostics over many months due to different inconclusive results.