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Radiographic Absence of the Left Humeral Head

Educational Objective
Based on this clinical scenario and the accompanying image, understand how to arrive at a correct diagnosis.
1 Credit CME

A 67-year-old man with thoracolumbar scoliosis, poor mobility, and history of frequent falls presented to the emergency department with 2 months of left shoulder pain, stiffness and reduced range of motion, and numbness and paresthesias in his left upper extremity. Ten years prior to presentation, he underwent surgical decompression for syringomyelia. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of his cervical and thoracic spine performed 2 years prior to presentation revealed a recurrent syrinx extending from C1 to T11, which was not resected because it did not cause symptoms at that time. On physical examination, he had mild tenderness to palpation and reduced range of motion of the left shoulder with abduction and flexion limited to 120° (normal range of motion, 180°). The left scapular muscles were atrophic, and pain and temperature sensation were reduced in his proximal left arm, and dorsal aspect of his left shoulder. His complete blood cell count, serum glucose levels, C-reactive protein levels, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were normal. Results of tests for rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody were negative. Left shoulder radiograph showed complete absence of the left humeral head and a well-demarcated smooth osseous margin of the proximal humerus with associated soft tissue swelling and periarticular calcification (Figure 1). A chest radiograph taken 2 years prior revealed a normal left shoulder joint. The patient was hospitalized for further evaluation and treatment.

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A 67-year-old man with thoracolumbar scoliosis, poor mobility, and history of frequent falls presented to the emergency department with 2 months of left shoulder pain, stiffness and reduced range of motion, and numbness and paresthesias in his left upper extremity. Ten years prior to presentation, he underwent surgical decompression for syringomyelia. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of his cervical and thoracic spine performed 2 years prior to presentation revealed a recurrent syrinx extending from C1 to T11, which was not resected because it did not cause symptoms at that time. On physical examination, he had mild tenderness to palpation and reduced range of motion of the left shoulder with abduction and flexion limited to 120° (normal range of motion, 180°). The left scapular muscles were atrophic, and pain and temperature sensation were reduced in his proximal left arm, and dorsal aspect of his left shoulder. His complete blood cell count, serum glucose levels, C-reactive protein levels, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were normal. Results of tests for rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody were negative. Left shoulder radiograph showed complete absence of the left humeral head and a well-demarcated smooth osseous margin of the proximal humerus with associated soft tissue swelling and periarticular calcification (Figure 1). A chest radiograph taken 2 years prior revealed a normal left shoulder joint. The patient was hospitalized for further evaluation and treatment.

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Article Information

Corresponding Author: Adam D. Roche, MD, Department of Medicine for the Older Person, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland (adamroche@rcsi.ie).

Published Online: July 14, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.12505

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Additional Contributions: We thank the patient for granting permission to publish this information.

References
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Snoddy  MC , Lee  DH , Kuhn  JE .  Charcot shoulder and elbow: a review of the literature and update on treatment.   J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2017;26(3):544-552. doi:10.1016/j.jse.2016.10.015 PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
2.
Santiesteban  L , Mollon  B , Zuckerman  JD .  Neuropathic arthropathy of the glenohumeral joint: a review of the literature.   Bull Hosp Jt Dis (2013). 2018;76(2):88-99.PubMedGoogle Scholar
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Rickert  MM , Cannon  JG , Kirkpatrick  JS .  Neuropathic arthropathy of the shoulder: a systematic review of classifications and treatments.   JBJS Rev. 2019;7(10):e1. doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.18.00155 PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
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Flint  G .  Syringomyelia: diagnosis and management.   Pract Neurol. 2021;21(5):403-411. Published online August 25, 2021. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2021-002994 PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
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Wawrzyniak  A , Lubiatowski  P , Kordasiewicz  B , Brzóska  R , Laprus  H .  Shoulder arthropathy secondary to syringomyelia: case series of 10 patients.   Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2022;32(7):1275-1281. doi:10.1007/s00590-021-03102-0 PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
6.
Wang  X , Li  Y , Gao  J , Wang  T , Li  Z .  Charcot arthropathy of the shoulder joint as a presenting feature of basilar impression with syringomyelia: a case report and literature review.   Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(28):e11391. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000011391 PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
7.
Kocyigit  BF , Kizildağ  B .  Neuropathic arthropathy of the shoulder secondary to operated syringomyelia: a case based review.   Rheumatol Int. 2023;43:777-790. doi:10.1007/s00296-022-05234-w Google ScholarCrossref
AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

  • 1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
  • 1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
  • 1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
  • 1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
  • 1.00 credit toward the CME of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.

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