Paresthesia and forearm pain after phlebotomy due to medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve injury^[*]

Abstract

Back ground Although phlebotomy is a common procedure, there is limited information concerning to documented complications of venipuncture.

Case presentation A 45 year old left- handed woman was refered for elecrodiagnostic study with dysesthesia and pain in left medial forearm. She noted these symptoms three weeks after phelebotomy. Electrodiagnostic study showed severe involvement of left side Medial Antebrachial Cutaneous nerve (MAC nerve).

Conclusion Phelebotomy is a cause of MAC nerve injury. Electrodiagnostic testing can be helpful in evaluating cases of sensory disturbance after phlebotomy.

^*This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

• References

• 1 Edwards WC, Fleming LL. Radial nerve palsy at the elbow following venipuncture-case report. J Hand Surgery [Am] 1981; 6: 486-9
• 2 Stitik TP, Foye PM, Nadler SF, Bruchman GO. Phlebotomy related lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve injury-case report. Am J Phy Med Rehabil 2001; 80: 230-4 10.1097/00002060-200103000-00016
• 3 Sander HW, Conigliari M, Masdeu JC. Antecubital phlebotomy complicated by lateral antebrachial cutaneous neuropathy. N Engl J Med 1998; 339: 2024 9882206
• 4 Rayegani SM, Azadi A. Lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve injury induced by phlebotomy. J Brachial Plex Peripher Nerve Inj 2007; 2: 6 10.1186/1749-7221-2-6 1847431 17359520
• 5 Daneil Dumitru. Electrodiagnostic medicine. second HANLEY & BELFUS; 2002
• 6 Richards RR, Regan WD. Medial epicondylitis caused by injury to the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve: a case report. Can J Surg 1989; 32: 366-7 2766143
• 7 Horowitz SH. Peripheral nerve injury and causalgia secondary to routine venipuncture. Neurology 1994; 44: 962-64 8190306
• 8 Sarris I, Göbel F, Gainer M, Vardakas DG, Vogt MT, Sotereanos DG. Medial brachial and antebrachial cutaneous nerve injuries: Effect on outcome in revision cubital tunnel surgery. J Reconst Microsurg 2002; 18: 665-70 10.1055/s-2002-36497
• 9 Lowe JB, Maggi SP, Mackinnon SE. The position of crossing branches of the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve during cubital tunnel surgery in humans. Plast Reconstr Surg 2004; 114: 692-96 10.1097/01.PRS.0000130966.16460.3C 15318047
• 10 Stahl S, Rosenberg N. Surgical treatment of painful neuroma in medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve. Ann Plast Surg 2002; 48: 154-60 10.1097/00000637-200202000-00007 11910220
• 11 Kelly EW, Morrey BF, O’Driscoll SW. Complications of elbow arthroscopy. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2001; 83-A: 25-348 11685840
• 12 Chiu YN, Huang YL, Chang CW. Medial antebrachial cutaneous neuropathy: a case report. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 2008; 48: 125-7 18435217
• 13 Chang CW, Ho SJ. Medial antebrachial cutaneous neuropathy. Case report Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 1988; 28: 3-5
• 14 Martins RS, Siqueira MG, Carvalho AAS. A case of isolated tuberculoid leprosy of antebrachial medial cutaneous nerve. Neurol Sci 2004; 25: 216-19 10.1007/s10072-004-0324-2 15549507
• 15 Seror P. Forearm pain secondary to compression of the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve at the elbow. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1993; 74: 540-42 10.1016/0003-9993(93)90121-P 8489367
• 16 Yuan RT, Cohen MJ. Lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve injury as a complication of phlebotomy. Plast Reconstr Surg 1985; 76: 299-300 4023102
• 17 Berry PR, Walls WE. Venipuncture nerve injuries. The Lancet 1977; 1236-7