Isolated paralysis of the serratus anterior muscle.

Isolated paralysis of the serratus anterior is an entity that should be more widely understood. Early recognition, followed by treatment that is comparatively simple, although prolonged, usually leads to a satisfactory outcome. The purpose of this paper is to present information pertaining to the clinical picture, anatomy, etiology, and treatment of the condition and to discuss our experience with twenty cases. Less than 250 cases of isolated paralysis of the serratus anterior have been presented in the literature since Velpeau's first report in 1837. Only two series of more than seven cases have been collected3,7. Fully thirty methods of treatment, many of them surgical, have been advocated. Prog­ nosis has varied from very good to very poor. The explanations of the etiology have differed widely. The sole aspect that many descriptions have in common is the clinical picture.