Brachial neuritis inclusion and exclusion criteria
| Must Meet Definitive Clinical Criteria or if Meets Modified Clinical Criteria, Must Meet Definitive EDX and/or Imaging Criteria for Confirmation |
|---|
| 1. Definitive clinical criteria (must meet all criteria) |
| a. Sudden onset of pain NRSa ≥7 (periscapular, shoulder, and/or arm pain) |
| b. Onset of asymmetric paresis of the upper extremities within first month of a pain episode |
| c. Nerve damage involves a single nerve or multiple nerves/segments of plexus/roots (mononeuropathy multiplex) |
| d. Monophasic course with slow (>3 months), spontaneous recovery |
| 2. Modified clinical criteria (must meet 1b and 1d) with EDX or imaging confirmation |
| a. If reported pain <7, can be included if presentation for brachial neuritis confirmed by neurologist/physiatrist due to classic presentation (ie, thumb and/or index finger distal flexor weakness [OK sign], scapular winging; and/or external rotation weakness) AND confirmation by EDX and/or imaging |
| b. If localization is to single root, confirmation of brachial neuritis by EDX and/or imaging is required |
| 3. Exclusion criteria |
| a. Exclusion of direct trauma, direct malignant infiltration, direct radiation to plexus |
| b. If the patient has underlying diabetes, must confirm that there is no demyelination in upper extremity by EDX to meet inclusion criteria |
| 4. Definitive EDX criteria |
| a. EDX excludes demyelination |
| b. Nonradicular pattern of involvement (unless imaging confirms findings of brachial neuritis) |
| c. Nerve damage involves a single nerve or multiple nerves/segments of plexus/roots (mononeuropathy multiplex) |
| d. Electromyography shows denervation potentials with no voluntary MUAPs or moderately/severely (discrete/moderately decreased) reduced recruitment of motor unit action potentials of at least 1 affected muscle. Discrete = 1–3 MUAPS max at 40 Hz. Moderately decreased = 4–6 MUAPS max at 40 Hz |
| 5. Definitive imaging criteria |
| a. 1 or more HGCs on either MRI or ultrasound of at least 1 affected nerve |
↵a NRS: numerical rating scale for pain. 0–10 scale.