In a population of adult patients with brachial plexus lesions with surgical indication, most of them comprise young male adults involved in high-energy motorcycle accidents.

Background: More than one-third of COVID-19 patients present neurological symptoms ranging from anosmia to stroke and encephalopathy. Furthermore, pre-existing neurological conditions may require special treatment and may be associated with worse outcomes. Notwithstanding, the role of neurologists in COVID-19 is probably underrecognized. Objective: The aim of this study was to report the reasons for requesting neurological consultations by internists and intensivists in a COVID-19-dedicated hospital. Methods: This retrospective study was carried out at Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, a 900-bed COVID-19 dedicated center (including 300 intensive care unit beds). COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed by SARS-CoV-2-RT-PCR in nasal swabs. All inpatient neurology consultations between March 23rd and May 23rd, 2020 were analyzed. Neurologists performed the neurological exam, assessed all available data to diagnose the neurological condition, and requested additional tests deemed necessary. Difficult diagnoses were established in consensus meetings. After diagnosis, neurologists were involved in the treatment. Results: Neurological consultations were requested for 89 out of 1,208 (7.4%) inpatient COVID admissions during that period. Main neurological diagnoses included: encephalopathy (44.4%), stroke (16.7%), previous neurological diseases (9.0%), seizures (9.0%), neuromuscular disorders (5.6%), other acute brain lesions (3.4%), and other mild nonspecific symptoms (11.2%). Conclusions: Most neurological consultations in a COVID-19-dedicated hospital were requested for severe conditions that could have an impact on the outcome. First-line doctors should be able to recognize neurological symptoms; neurologists are important members of the medical team in COVID-19 hospital care.

Lessons Learned. Pregabalin is a medication that can decrease neuronal hyperexcitability, relieve neuropathic pain, and reach stable plasma levels after a titration period of only a few days.Its use during oxaliplatin infusions was not able to decrease the incidence of chronic, oxalipaltin‐related neuropathic pain, compared with placebo.Background.Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) receiving oxaliplatin (OXA) develop acute and chronic painful oxaliplatin‐induced peripheral neuropathy (OXAIPN). Acute and chronic OXA‐related neuropathies have different pathophysiological bases, but both lead to a common phenomenon: central sensitization (CS) of nociceptive neuronal networks, leading to increased sensitivity (hyperlgesia, allodynia) in the somatosensory system, the common ground of chronic neuropathic pain. Because CS is related to increased risk of painful OXAIPN, we hypothesized that preemptive use of the anti‐hyperalgesic drug pregabaline (known to decrease CS) during OXA infusions would decrease the incidence of chronic OXAIPN.Methods.Pain‐free, chemotherapy‐naïve CRC patients receiving at least one cycle of modified‐FLOX [5‐FU(500 mg/m2)+leucovorin(20 mg/m2)/week for] 6 weeks+oxaliplatin(85 mg/m2) at weeks 1‐3‐5 every 8 weeks] were randomized (1:1) into the study. Patients received either pregabalin or placebo for 3 days before and 3 days after each OXA infusion and were followed for up to 6 months. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline, at the end of chemotherapy, and after the follow‐up period. The main outcome was average pain at the last visit assessed by the visual analogic scale (0–10) item of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Secondary endpoints were presence of neuropathic pain according to the Douleur Neuropathique‐4 (DN‐4), pain dimensions (short‐ form McGill Pain Questionnaire [MPQ]), Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI), and changes in nerve conduction studies (NCS) and side effect profile.Results.One hundred ninety‐nine patients (57.0 ± 10.7 years old, 98 female, 101 male) were randomized. Data from 56 patients were not included in the analyses (as they did not receive at least one full cycle of modified FLOX). Data from 78 patients in the pregabalin group and 65 patients in the placebo group were retained for analyses. At the last visit, pain intensity in the pregabalin group was 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.79–1.26), and 0.85 (95% CI = 0.64–1.06) in the placebo group, which did not reach significance. Scores from the BPI, MPQ, DN‐4, NPSI, and NCS and side‐effect profiles and incidence of death did not differ between groups. Quality of life (QoL) score did not differ between groups (placebo = 76.9 ± 23.1, pregabalin group 79.4 ± 20.6). Mood scores were not significantly different between groups (placebo 9.7 [8.1–11.2]; pregabalin 6.8 [5.6–8.0]).Conclusion.The preemptive use of pregabalin during OXA infusions was safe, but did not decrease the incidence of chronic pain related to OXAIPN.

Although relatively infrequent, the potential for novel post-operative deficits after the surgical treatment of peripheral schwannomas does exist and should be included during pre-operative counseling.

Traumatic peripheral nerve injury is a dramatic condition present in many of the injuries to the upper and lower extremities. An understanding of its physiopathology and selection of a suitable time for surgery are necessary for proper treatment of this challenging disorder. This article reviews the physiopathology of traumatic peripheral nerve injury, considers the most used classification, and discusses the main aspects of surgical timing and treatment of such a condition.

-Botulinum toxin type A was recently introduced for treatment of biceps -triceps muscle cocontraction, which compromises elbow function in children with obstetrical brachial plexopathy. This is our preliminary experience with this new approach. Eight children were treated with 2 -3 U/kg of botulinum toxin injected in the triceps (4 patients) and biceps (4 patients) muscle, divided in 2 or 3 sites. All patients submitted to triceps injections showed a long-lasting improvement of active elbow flexion and none re q u i red new injections, after a follow-up of 3 to 18 months. Three of the patients submitted to biceps injections showed some improvement of elbow extension, but none developed anti-gravitational stre n g t h for elbow extension and the effect lasted only three to five months. One patient showed no response to triceps injections. Our data suggest that botulinum toxin can be useful in some children that have persistent disability secondary to obstetrical brachial plexopathy.KEY WORDS: botulinum toxin type A, obstetric paralysis, drug therapy.Toxina botulínica para tratamento das co-contrações relacionadas à plexopatia braquial obstétrica RESUMO -A toxina botulínica do tipo A foi introduzida recentemente para o tratamento das co-contrações e n t re os músculos biceps e triceps, que comprometem a função do cotovelo nas crianças com plexopatia braquial obstétrica. Apresentamos nossa experiência preliminar com esta abordagem. Oito crianças foram tratadas com 2 -3 U/kg de toxina botulínica injetada nos músculos triceps (4 pacientes) e biceps (4 pacientes), divididas em 2 ou 3 sítios. Todos os pacientes submetidos a injeções no triceps apresentaram melhora persistente da flexão do cotovelo e nenhum precisou de novas aplicações após seguimento de 3 a 18 meses. Três pacientes submetidos a aplicações no biceps apresentaram melhora na extensão do cotovelo, mas nenhum adquiriu força antigravitacional e o efeito durou apenas 3 a 5 meses. Um paciente não re s p o n d e u às injeções. Nossos dados sugerem que a toxina botulínica pode ser útil no tratamento de algumas crianças com seqüelas de plexopatia braquial obstétrica. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: toxina botulínica tipo A, paralisia obstétrica, terapia por drogas.The incidence of obstetrical brachial plexopathy (OBP) in developed countries is around 0.15% and has not been reduced despite progress in obst e t r i c s 1 . Upper brachial plexus lesions (C5-C6) are almost always present in OBP, either in isolated form, or in association with middle (C7) and lower (C8-T1) brachial plexus lesions 2 . Most of the patients with OBP will fully recover after a few m o n t h s 3 , but 5% to 25% will remain handicapped 1,3 . Treatment of OBP patients includes one or more of the followings: physiotherapy, re c o n s t ru c t i v e plexus surg e ry and correction of secondary deformities. The use of botulinum toxin type A (BTA ) was recently introduced to treat biceps -triceps muscle cocontractions and improve the functional performance of these children 4,5 . This is a re p o rt of...

Neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) has an incidence of 1.5 cases per 1000 live births and it has not declined despite recent advances in obstetrics. Most patients will recover spontaneously, but some will remain severely handicapped. Rehabilitation is important in most cases and brachial plexus surgery can improve the functional outcome of selected patients. This review highlights the current management of infants with NBPP, including conservative and operative approaches.

The strength of elbow flexion did not differ significantly between the groups treated with single or double muscle reinnervation. Deterioration of handgrip, lateral pinch strength, and sensibility measured by using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments, was temporary, resulting in low morbidity for both techniques.