New-Onset Wrist Drop After a Night of Drinking: A Case Report

Abstract

This case report highlights the clinical approach to evaluating a patient with substance use disorder presenting with a sudden onset of peripheral neuropathy in the left hand. Our patient had significant cardiovascular risk factors, which further broadened the differential diagnosis beyond common causes of mononeuropathy. The use of detailed and appropriate clinical history, physical examination, and careful selection of relevant laboratory and radiological tests was instrumental in ruling out multiple medical differential diagnoses, including common mononeuropathies and life-threatening ones, such as cerebrovascular accidents, which facilitated the involvement of necessary consults while also treating both the presenting medical complication and underlying severe alcohol use disorder with additional efforts at relapse prevention.

Keywords: alcohol use disorder; compressive radial mononeuropathy; naltrexone; saturday night palsy; wrist drop.