Comparison of Histopathology of Transverse Carpal Ligament in Patients with Idiopathic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Hemodialysis Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to point out the growing clinical importance of Carpal tunnel syndrome in patients on hemodialysis especially in aspect of the diagnosis, treatment and possible cause of the syndrome. Sixty patients with clinical diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was defined as the presence of two subjective symptoms (numbness, tingling in the median nerve distribution). The diagnosis was confirmed by electromyography. The patients with rheumatoid arthritis, thalasemia and thyroid dysfunction and the patients having pain due to arthritis or tenosynovitis were excluded. Fifty patients with clinical diagnosis of idiopathic CTS and seven hemodialysis patients having CTS were analyzed. Of 50 patients (47 female, 3 male) with clinical diagnosis of idiopathic CTS, 11 patients (22%) were involved bilaterally, 25 patients (50%) were affected only on the right and 14 patients (28%) were symptomatic only on the left. Of 7 hemodialysis patients (2 female, 5 male) with CTS, 1 patient (14%) was involved bilaterally (having two-sided A-V fistula), 4 patients (57%) were affected only on the right and 2 patients (28%) were symptomatic only on the left. There was significant correlation between the arteriovenous fistula and subsequent development of CTS. The all patients had fistulas in the affected side (5 of them were patent and 2 were occluded). In the relation between the duration of hemodialysis and development of CTS, 4 patients were over 10 years of hemodialysis, 2 patients were between 5 to 9 years and only 1 patient was below 4 years of duration. Amyloid deposit was demonstrated in 4 of 7 operated hands in the hemodialysis group. When we compared the presence of amyloid deposits in these groups, the difference between these two groups were found as statistically significant (p < 0.009). Although hemodialysis has no significant effect on development of fibrosis, the incidence of fibrosis was found as statistically significant in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (p < 0.048). It is likely that there are numerous factors that may act either independently or in concert to potentiate the risk for developing CTS in patients on long-term hemodialysis.