Brachial Plexopathy as an Unusual First Sign of a Head and Neck Cancer: Case Report

Malignancies in the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) area are mostly manifested by dysphagia, dysphonia, dyspnea, throat swelling, and other “traditional” head and neck symptoms. Sporadically, a primary tumor or metastasis can reach such a size and it can be localized in such an area in which it can cause the pathology of the brachial plexus. If this appears first, differential diagnosis may be more difficult.

In this article the authors review current literature knowledge and present the case of this unusual sign of a head and neck cancer at the Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, and Martin University Hospital, Martin, Slovakia.