A 67-year-old man with thoracolumbar scoliosis, poor mobility, and history of frequent
falls presented to the emergency department with 2 months of left shoulder pain, stiff-
ness and reduced range of motion, and numbness and paresthesias in his left upper
extremity. Ten years prior to presentation, he underwent surgical decompression for
syringomyelia. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of his cervical and thoracic
spine performed 2 years prior to presentation revealed a recurrent syrinx extending from
Cl C1 to T11, which was not resected because it did not cause symptoms at that time. On
physical examination, he had mild tenderness to palpation and reduced range of motion
of the left shoulder with abduction and flexion limited to 120° (normal range of motion,
180°). The left scapular muscles were atrophic, and pain and temperature sensation
were reduced in his proximal left arm, and dorsal aspect of his left shoulder. His complete
blood cell count, serum glucose levels, C-reactive protein levels, and erythrocyte sedi-
mentation rate were normal. Results of tests for rheumatoid factor and antinuclear anti-
body were negative. Left shoulder radiograph showed complete absence of the left
humeral head and a well-demarcated smooth osseous margin of the proximal humerus
with associated soft tissue swelling and periarticular calcification (Figure 1). A chest
radiograph taken 2 years prior revealed a normal left shoulder joint. The patient was hos-
pitalized for further evaluation and treatment.
这里提到了一种罕见的进展性疾病, 叫Charcot肩, 是一种神经性关节病变，特点是关节迅速被破坏和相关软组织肿胀。患者通常表现为肩部逐渐增大的肿胀，可能伴有疼痛或无痛，肩部无力和活动范围减少。
大约80%的Charcot肩患者有脊髓空洞症, 表现为脊髓中的液体充满腔体