Parsonage-Turner Syndrome Post-COVID-19 Oxford/AstraZeneca Vaccine Inoculation: A Case Report and Brief Literature Review

Parsonage-Turner syndrome (PTS) is a rare brachial plexus neuropathy that typically presents as a severe, sudden-onset pain followed by atrophic weakness with slow recovery, which may occur after an identifiable triggering event. Vaccination is one of several known triggers of PTS, and this syndrome has already been reported in other patients who were vaccinated against coronavirus disease. We report the case of a 75-year-old Caucasian man who received the third dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and was diagnosed with PTS. A week after inoculation, the patient, with no history of trauma, developed a sudden-onset left shoulder mechanical pain and later reported an abduction deficit. Neurological examination showed an atrophy of the proximal muscles of the left upper limb. No bulbar weakness or pathological upper motor neuron signs were seen. The MRI excluded rotator cuff pathology, including ruptures and tendinopathy. Electroneuromyography findings carried out 10 months after the onset of symptoms indicated left brachial panplexopathy, suggestive of PTS. The raised consciousness of PTS and vaccine association is crucial for prompt identification and diagnosis and, therefore, better clinical outcomes.