Evaluation of upper extremity mononeuropathy

Last reviewed: 11 Jun 2025
Last updated: 02 Jun 2023

Summary

Differentials

Common

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Ulnar neuropathy at the elbow
  • Cervical radiculopathy
Full details

Uncommon

  • Ulnar neuropathy at the wrist/palm
  • Radial neuropathy at the spiral groove (Saturday night palsy)
  • Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome
  • Posterior interosseus syndrome
  • Anterior interosseus neuropathy
  • Brachial neuritis (brachial amyotrophy, Parsonage-Turner syndrome, idiopathic acute brachial neuropathy)
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Metastatic cancer/nerve sheath tumors
  • Amyloidosis
  • Post-irradiation brachial plexopathy
  • Peripheral nerve vasculitis (mononeuritis multiplex)
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Multifocal chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
  • Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP)
  • Leprosy
  • Cytomegalovirus
  • HIV
  • Lyme disease
Full details

Contributors

Authors

Mitchell K. Freedman, DO

Clinical Professor

Rehabilitation Medicine

Jefferson Medical College

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia

PA

Disclosures

MKF declares that he has no competing interests.

Jeffrey A. Gehret, DO

Clinical Assistant Professor

Rehabilitation Medicine

Sidney Kimmel Medical College

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Attending Physician

Rothman Institute

Philadelphia

PA

Disclosures

JAG declares that he has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Mitchell K. Freedman and Dr Jeffrey A. Gehret would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Hannah R. Briemberg, and Dr Naser Alotaibi, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

HRB receives royalties from UpToDate for an article she contributed to, "Approach to sensory loss", and she is on the editorial board of Continuum, a continuing education journal produced by the American Academy of Neurology. NA declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Nizar Souayah, MD

Assistant Professor of Neurology

Director of EMG Laboratory & Peripheral Neuropathy Center

Department of Neurology & Neurosciences

New Jersey Medical School

Newark

NJ

Declarações

NS declares that he has no competing interests.

Mamede de Carvalho, MD

Associate Professor of Neurology

Department of Neurology

Santa Maria Hospital/Instituto de Medicina Molecular - Faculty of Medicine

Lisbon

Portugal

Declarações

MdC declares that he has no competing interests.

Referências

Nossas equipes internas de editoria e de evidências trabalham em conjunto com colaboradores internacionais especializados e pares revisores para garantir que forneçamos acesso às informações o mais clinicamente relevantes possível.

Principais artigos

Doughty CT, Bowley MP. Entrapment neuropathies of the upper extremity. Med Clin North Am. 2019 Mar;103(2):357-70. Resumo

Padua L, Cuccagna C, Giovannini S, et al. Carpal tunnel syndrome: updated evidence and new questions. Lancet Neurol. 2023 Mar;22(3):255-67. Resumo

Graham B, Peljovich AE, Afra R, et al. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons evidence-based clinical practice guideline on: management of carpal tunnel syndrome. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2016 Oct 19;98(20):1750-4.Texto completo  Resumo

Artigos de referência

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