RECURRENT BRACHIAL-PLEXUS PALSIES THE ONLY CLINICAL EXPRESSION OF HEREDITARY NEUROPATHY WITH LIABILITY TO PRESSURE PALSIES ASSOCIATED WITH A DE-NOVO DELETION OF THE PERIPHERAL MYELIN PROTEIN-22 GENE

There is phenotypic heterogeneity in patients with hereditary neuropat hy with liability to pressure palsies. In rare cases, recurrent brachi al plexopathy is the only expression of the disease. We describe a pat ient with three episodes of plexus brachialis palsy and a de novo dele tion of the peripheral myelin protein-22 gene. We conclude that DNA an alysis is a key issue not only for the differentiation of peripheral n europathies but also in the diagnosis of recurrent plexopathies. (C) 1 998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.