Abstract
A lesion of the median nerve may occur as a consequence of a compression by a haematoma or for a direct damage of the axons caused by a needle insertion. To date, no investigation reported a very selective lesion of the median nerve at the elbow, with the suffering limited only to the fibres for the first digit. A 53 year-old left-handed violinist underwent an arterial blood gas drawing. The patient complained immediately of an electrical shock impression going down the arm, followed by pin sensation into the first finger. A tingling sensation associated with numbness in the first fingertip and difficulty in the index-thumb pinch became progressively evident. The ENG-EMG findings showed an impairment mainly of the sensory fibres innervating the first digit and a drop of the motor action potential amplitude when the nerve was stimulated at the elbow. We reported a very partial lesion of the left median nerve at the elbow in a violinist who had a selective involvement of the fibres for his first digit. Even minimal lesions of the median nerve may impair severely the quality of life of patients.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 97-99 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Acta Neurologica Belgica |
Volume | 110 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Keywords
- Axonal damage
- Elbow
- First digit
- Iatrogenic partial lesion
- Median nerve
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology