Bilateral Cervical Radiculopathy Misunderstanding as Feigning Illness - A Case Report -

Case Report

J Korean Assoc EMG Electrodiagn Med 2017;19(1):42-46.
Published online June 30, 2017.

Received: 19 August 2016 • Revised: 17 November 2016 • Accepted: 21 November 2016

Abstract

Most of cervical radiculopathy appears unilaterally. We report a case of bilateral cervical radiculopathy initially misunderstanding as feigning illness. A 49-year-old man presented with severe weakness of bilateral upper extremities after neck trauma. Clinically he was thought to be developed cervical spinal cord or spinal nerve root injury, and cervical spine MRI was performed. But there were no findings related to disc herniation or spinal cord injury except bulging disc in C5-6 vertebra. He was suspected of malingering for insurance benefit. At 14 days, the electrodiagnostic (EDX) test was performed and the result was compatible with bilateral C5 radiculopathy. There is no gold standard for the diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy, as clinical, radiological, and electrophysiological tests. Even with the widespread use of MRI, EDX test continues to play an important role in the evaluation of radiculopathy.

Key Words: cervical radiculopathy, magnetic resonance image, electrodiagnostic test