A case of painful involuntary contraction of the left latissimus dorsi muscle, successfully treated with left thoracodorsal nerve resection
Kakinuma, S.; Sasabe, F.; Nogaki, H.; Negoro, K.; Morimatsu, M.
Rinsho Shinkeigaku 34(10): 1018-1020
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-918X PMID: 7834945 Document Number: 436370
A 66-year-old Japanese man underwent the resection of the upper lobe of the left lung for primary lung cancer. One year later, his back muscles neighboring the operation scar gradually began to twitch upwards intermittently. The involuntary muscle twitch was accompanied with severe local pain, and intensity of the pain and contraction slowly increased. The abnormal muscle contractions were confined to the left latissimus dorsi muscle on needle EMG. The pain and movement ceased by blocking of either thoracodorsal nerve or brachial plexus, and disappeared finally by resection of the nerve. The impulses causing involuntary, painful contractions were thought to originate in the damaged thoracodorsal nerve, transmitted to CNS and re-transmitted to the thoracodorsal nerve.