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A case of neuropathic brachioradial pruritus caused by cervical disc herniation

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From Nature Clinical Practice Neurology

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Abstract

Background A 64-year-old woman presented to an outpatient clinic with a 2-year history of itch, burning sensation and intermittent paresthesias within the innervation territory of the sixth cervical nerve root on the right dorsal forearm. No dermatological diseases, trauma to the affected extremity or the spine, or familial pruritus were reported.

Investigations Dermatological examination, skin biopsy, laser Doppler imaging, neurological physical examination and cervical MRI scan.

Diagnosis Brachioradial pruritus caused by cervical disc herniation.

Management Ventral spinal fusion with cage implantation.

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Figure 1: Laser Doppler images of the affected right forearm in a patient with brachioradial pruritus.
Figure 2: MRI scan of the cervical spine in a patient with brachioradial pruritus.

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Acknowledgements

A Binder, J Koroschetz, M Stengel and R Baron were supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain (grant 01 EM 0504) and an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer, Germany. Charles P Vega, University of California, Irvine, CA, is the author of and is solely responsible for the content of the learning objectives, questions and answers of the Medscape-accredited continuing medical education activity associated with this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. J Koroschetz is a Junior House Officer and M Stengel is a Senior House Officer in the Department of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, R Fölster-Holst is a Consultant in and T Schwarz is the Head of the Department of Dermatology, G Sahan is a Resident in and HM Mehdorn is Head of the Department of Neurosurgery, and R Baron is Head of the Department of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy and Vice Chair of the Department of Neurology, A Binder is a Specialist Registrar, Venerology and Allergology, all at Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,

    Andreas Binder, Regina Fölster-Holst, Gülcan Sahan, Jana Koroschetz, Maike Stengel, H Maximilian Mehdorn & Thomas Schwarz

  2. R Baron is also an Advisory Board member of Nature Clinical Practice Neurology.,

    Ralf Baron

Authors
  1. Andreas Binder
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  2. Regina Fölster-Holst
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  3. Gülcan Sahan
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  4. Jana Koroschetz
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  5. Maike Stengel
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  6. H Maximilian Mehdorn
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  7. Thomas Schwarz
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  8. Ralf Baron
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Binder.

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Competing interests

A Binder has received honoraria from Pfizer, Allergan and Grünenthal. R Baron has acted as a consultant and received honoraria and grant support from Genzyme, Grünenthal and Pfizer, and has acted as a consultant and received honoraria from Allergan, Medtronic, Mundipharma and Sanofi Pasteur MSD. The other authors declared no competing interests.

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Binder, A., Fölster-Holst, R., Sahan, G. et al. A case of neuropathic brachioradial pruritus caused by cervical disc herniation. Nat Rev Neurol 4, 338–342 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneuro0807

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneuro0807

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