Abstract

The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that provides movement and feeling to the shoulder, arm and hand. The majority of acute brachial plexus injuries occur when the plexus is stretched violently or torn. This happens as result of the shoulder being pressed down forcefully while the head is pushed up and away from that shoulder. Such injuries frequently result from automobile or motor-cycle accidents or from falls and usually affect one side. Nerve injuries vary in severity from a mild stretching of the nerve to a tearing of the nerve root away from the spinal cord. We experienced a 50-year-old woman with weakness in both upper extremities after an attempted hanging. A consecutive workup revealed bilateral brachial plexus injuries. Six months after the incident, she had fully recovered. This is a very rare case of bilateral brachial plexus injuries after an attempted hanging.

• Keywords: Brachial plexus neuropathiesHanging