{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T05:18:14Z","timestamp":1787894294828,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787875200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:p>While non-traumatic radial nerve palsy is relatively rare, cases triggered by a single etiological factor pose minimal diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. However, for radial nerve palsy driven by multiple factors, the overlapping or masking effects of symptoms and signs from distinct etiologies complicate accurate diagnosis and optimal management. This complexity is further amplified when all contributing factors are rare, presenting a more formidable challenge to precise diagnosis and treatment selection. We present a case of radial nerve palsy attributed to multiple etiological factors, which is notable for the coexistence of three distinct and rare pathogenic entities: elbow joint cyst, hourglass-like constriction, and a specific iatrogenic injury\u2014a combination that is rarely, if ever, documented in the existing literature. Through the synthesis of clinical experience from the diagnostic and therapeutic process and a comprehensive literature review, it aims to provide valuable references for the precise diagnosis and management of such rare clinical entities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1900239","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T04:31:50Z","timestamp":1787891510000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Precise diagnosis and management of non-traumatic radial nerve palsy attributed to multiple rare etiologies: case study and literature review"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Yanchen","family":"Dong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Outpatient Department, The 960th Hospital of PLA","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nanfei","family":"Zheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hand Surgery, The 960th Hospital of PLA","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hongyue","family":"Men","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hand Surgery, The 960th Hospital of PLA","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chen","family":"Xie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hand Surgery, The 960th Hospital of PLA","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"338","DOI":"10.5152\/j.aott.2021.20415","article-title":"Relationship between incidence of postoperative radial nerve palsy and surgical experience in the treatment of humeral shaft fractures through a posterior triceps splitting approach: a retrospective study","volume":"55","author":"Lee","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc."},{"key":"B2","first-page":"156","article-title":"Radial tunnel syndrome, diagnostic and treatment dilemma","volume":"3","author":"Moradi","year":"2015","journal-title":"Arch Bone Jt Surg."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"232","DOI":"10.22603\/ssrr.2021-0014","article-title":"Neuralgic amyotrophy: its importance in orthopedics practice","volume":"5","author":"Firmino","year":"2021","journal-title":"Spine Surg Related Res."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"605","DOI":"10.1097\/WCO.0000000000000968","article-title":"Neuralgic amyotrophy","volume":"34","author":"Ijspeert","year":"2021","journal-title":"Curr Opin Neurol."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1038\/nrneurol.2011.62","article-title":"Clinical and pathophysiological concepts of neuralgic amyotrophy","volume":"7","author":"van Alfen","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nat Rev Neurol."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1227\/NEU.0000000000000350","article-title":"Hourglass-like constrictions of peripheral nerve in the upper extremity: a clinical review and pathological study","volume":"75","author":"Pan","year":"2014","journal-title":"Neurosurgery."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1126","DOI":"10.3390\/children11091126","article-title":"Isolated radial nerve palsy in a newborn due to a congenital myofibroma: a rare case of peripheral nerve injury","volume":"11","author":"Chiellino","year":"2024","journal-title":"Children."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1080\/028443101300165381","article-title":"Radial nerve entrapment in the upper arm as a cause of lateral arm pain: a report of four cases","volume":"35","author":"Adolfsson","year":"2001","journal-title":"Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg Hand Surg."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"252","DOI":"10.5397\/cise.2018.21.4.252","article-title":"Posterior interosseous nerve palsy caused by a ganglion of the arcade of frohse","volume":"21","author":"Lee","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin Shoulder Elb."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"665","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcot.2020.01.012","article-title":"A rare case of posterior interosseous nerve palsy due to ganglion cyst arising from supinator muscle","volume":"11","author":"Purohit","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Clin Orthop Trauma."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"454","DOI":"10.1016\/S0266-7681(05)80152-4","article-title":"Radial tunnel syndrome. 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