Non-progressive juvenile spinal muscular atrophy of the distal upper limb (Hirayama's disease): a clinical variant of the benign monomelic amyotrophy

Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2000 Sep;58(3B):814-9. doi: 10.1590/s0004-282x2000000500004.

Abstract

Hirayama's disease (HD) is frequently found in Asia, and is rarely referred among westerners. It affects young people with higher incidence in males. It is a focal distal amyotrophy with unilateral or asymmetric bilateral involvement of C7, C8 and T1 innervated muscles. HD appears sporadically and has a benign evolution with clinical stabilization in around one year. We report four young male patients with clinical and electrophysiological alterations described in HD, which were followed-up during 5 years. Electromyographic findings were indicative of lower motor neuron involvement. We analyzed cervical MRI aiming at understanding if a questionable spinal cord compression could be implicated in the pathogenesis, but no abnormality was verified. In view of its clinical, and EMG characteristics, HD is no more than a benign monomelic amyotrophy (BMA) clinical variant, and not a specific disease. This eponym could be considered only for the distal upper limb variant (Hirayama's variant) of the BMA.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Electromyography
  • Forearm / pathology*
  • Hand / pathology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Spinal Muscular Atrophies of Childhood / pathology*