This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

George H. Kraft, MD
University of Washington Hospital Seattle

JAMA. 1970;211(2):300.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor:—

Two types of acute upper extremity weakness—rucksack paralysis and brachial neuritis—are often seen in military personnel. In a recent article (JAMA 208:2447, 1969) Daube presented an excellent description of the former and pointed out that the diagnosis of pack paralysis can be made when a history of sustained compression of the brachial plexus can be obtained from a patient with shoulder weakness. However, differentiating between pack paralysis and brachial neuritis is often difficult, especially when weakness develops after intermittent pack bearing and recent inoculations. Unfortunately for the diagnostician, this is a situation frequently encountered during basic training and field activity.

Pack paralysis, as Dr. Daube has pointed out, is produced by sustained compression of the upper portion of the trunk of the brachial plexus. However, our recent studies of shoulder neuritis have shown that this disease produces dysfunction of distal portions of peripheral nerves innervating the . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?