The droopy shoulder syndrome

Droopy shoulder syndrome (DSS) is characterized by a depression of the shoulders that stretches the brachial plexus, thus causing pain without any signs of neurological impairment. We describe ten patients with DSS; all had been treated for different diagnoses before. Contrary to previous reports, three patients had unilateral involvement, and five had accompanying disease of the cervical-shoulder region. All patients responded well to conservative treatment in 2–10 weeks. DSS must be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of pain in the cervical-shoulder region, to prevent unnecessary medication. Received: 8 January 2000