RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Useless hand of Oppenheim: how to understand it
JF Practical Neurology
JO Pract Neurol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP practneurol-2016-001494
DO 10.1136/practneurol-2016-001494
A1 Louise Wiblin
A1 Joe Guadagno
YR 2017
UL http://pn.bmj.com/content/early/2017/08/04/practneurol-2016-001494.abstract
AB Hermann Oppenheim described the ‘Useless Hand’ in 1911 as a classical but uncommon presentation of multiple sclerosis, in which a hand loses useful function due to proprioceptive loss, with relatively preserved motor function. Light touch perception may be subjectively altered or can be relatively intact. The lesion is (usually) a demyelinating plaque in the posterior columns of the cervical spinal cord. Depending on its location, it may affect one limb, or if more central, may produce a bilateral (if asymmetrical) picture. This article reviews a clinical case, historical background, pathophysiology as well as examination tips to aid its recognition.