Evening star., 1950-03-13
New Nerve MuIudy
Described by Briton
36 Cases of Neuralgia
Amyotrophy Studied
By Thomas R. Henry

By Thomas R. Henry
A new nerve malady, neuralgic amyo-
trophy, has just been reported here.
1t apparently was a not uncommon
syndrome throughout Europe during the
war. total of So cases occurring in
England between 1941 and 1945 are de-
scribed by DR.. M. j. Parsonage of Guys
Hospital, London, in the Quarterly Re-
view OF Psychiatry and Neurology issued
at ST. Elizabeths Hospital here.
The disease consists essentially of a
sudden onset OF pain across the top of
the shoulder blade, sometimes radiating
down the arm and up into the neck.
Iyplcally the pain lasts from few hours
TO two weeks or more. 1t is then followed
oy paralysis of the shoulder girdle and
sometimes OF the upper arm with a numb
patch over the outer side of the upper
arm.
The great majority of cases were in
the age range from 19 to 80, and many
appeared IN the army and navy. In more
IMAM half the cases. DR.. PARSONAGE saws.
tne attack was preceded by minor surgi-
cal operations, or by illness ranging from
malaria to typhus fever Yet in no case,
ne believed, could these conditions be
considered the direct cause.
Pain was the predominant early symp-
tom, ne says. 1T was usually of sud-
den onset and sometimes severe. 1t
commonly occurred across the back of
the scapula and tip of the shoulder, often
radlatlng down the upper arm to the ell
bow, but there was no exact relationship
between the distribution of the pain and
That OF the subsequent muscle paralysis.
The pain usually ceased within three
weeks or less from the beginning and in
the majority of cases the muscle involv-
ment appeared within IA days.
The muscle weakness was character
lied by its rapid development after the
variable period of pain, and was usually
at its maximum from the first. The
weakness was a flaccid one and the
muscles involved were divided into q
series OF groups. Some cases could be
satisfactorily explained only in terms
OF spinal cord involvement.
Special investigations were yerv lin
lted because most cases were not seen
until long after the onset. Spinal fluid
examined within the first two weeks
appeared normal and x-rays of the
shoulder and spine taken in a few cases
were consistently normal Recurrent at
tacks were very rare but one case of
special interest had three separate at
tacks. The patient made good recovery
from the two earlier ones, only to be
severely disabled by the third"
AT first, the report says, there is dam
ger OF confusing the condition with sew
eral better known diseases, the most seri-
Gus OF which is polio. It also may be at
trlouted to compression of a nerve root
or the rare but fatal progressive muscu-
lar atrophy 1t can be differentiated
however. with the appearance of the
severe pain without warning and by the
rapid onset of weakness which is NOT
progressive.
NO clue has been found as to the cause
OF the malady, the neurologist saws. II
most closely resembles a condition known
as serum neuritis" which sometimes
follows innoculations. In only a few of
the cases reported, however had there
been recent innoculations
r- 4-s a. + X .e..-e-,~r -,sa
The average American lived nearly
SIX months longer last year than the
year before.
The average length of life in this
country, which has more than doubled
In the past century, reached what was
believed to be an all time record in 194S
-66:8. But the most notable advance
vet recorded for so short time-to 672
Immediately followed
Still. the Public Health Service points
out, there is great room for improve
ment. The death rate for infants still
is relatively high. The rate per thou
sand increased a little last year. 1t drops
to minimum for children from to IA
and the greatest decline since 1910 has
been for children between / and 4.
This, it is believed, is a reflection Of
three Developments diet, better
maternal education and the conquest of
many of the infectious diseases Of
childhood A decrease of more than
40 per cent in the death rate for this
A decrease of 80 per cent, however, is
recorded for the whole population be-
tween the ages of and 35.
From this point on, PHS statisticians
explain, the gains grow smaller and
smaller as the degenerative diseases Of
middle life, for which there are no Spe-
cific remedies, make their appearance.
There is death rate of 96 per thousand
for persons rs to "a years old and it
makes a big Jump to 247 per thousand
for those IS and older.
In every age group the death rate for
males is slightly greater than for
females. This is also true for the nom
white compared with the white popula-
ton.
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