PHRENIC NERVE PALSY: A RARE CAUSE OF RESPIRATORY DISTRESS IN NEWBORN

Abstract

Phrenic nerve palsy is a rare cause of respiratory distress in newborns, and often under-diagnosed, It is often accompanied by brachial plexus palsy. The possibility of spontaneous recovery should be considered before choosing surgery. This rare cause of respiratory distress of the newborn can be easily overlooked among the many common etiologies of respiratory distress of the newborn if this entity is not kept in mind and a thorough workup is not performed.We report a newborn who was admitted to the neonatal unit with respiratory distress and paresis of the right upper limb. He had a dystocia labor. Chest x-ray and ultrasound showed an elevation of the right diaphragmatic dome. The diagnosis was phrenic nerve palsy associated with brachial plexus palsy secondary to birth trauma. The newborn was treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation without surgical intervention.The outcome was favorable with spontaneous recovery at the age of 2 months.The management of this association is not yet codified.Further investigations will be necessary to develop more definitive guidelines for the treatment of this condition.