Clinical semiology of common cervicobrachial neuralgia. Data from 50 hospital cases.

Common cervicobrachial neuralgia is less frequent than sciatica and its aetiological profile is more varied: men and women are equally affected, triggering factors or previous history are less often found and patients with anxiety or depression are relatively numerous. Clinically, signs of C7 lesion are present in half the patients. Acroparesthesias are frequent and may be the initial signs. Nocturnal pain is present in 50% of the cases. Signs of neurological deficit are rare, except for abolition of a reflex. The association of cervicobrachial neuralgia with tendinitis of the upper limb or algodystrophy of the shoulder is too frequent to be fortuitous. Left to itself, the syndrome usually lasts several months and sometimes one year. Recurrences are rare. The most frequent sequela is a painful neck.