Carpal tunnel syndrome associated with chronic bursitis: A case report

Abstract

This current report presents a rare case of carpal tunnel syndrome with chronic bursitis that was treated successfully by open surgery. A 53-year-old female patient that had begun to experience swelling, pain and limited flexion activity of the left wrist 1 year previously presented because of a deterioration in her condition and numbness of the thumb, index finger and middle finger in the previous 2 months without any treatment. The diagnosis of bursitis should be based on clinical symptoms and signs, combined with colour ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, arthroscopy and arthrography. Bursitis should be differentiated from arthritis, tendonitis, fracture and neoplasm, but complete exclusion depends on the postoperative pathological results. In this current case, the histopathological findings were consistent with bursitis without malignancy. After surgery, the patient was instructed to perform rehabilitation exercises for the wrist joint. These exercises included passive activity 3 days after surgery and active activity 1 week after surgery. There was also regular follow-up every 3 months. The patient recovered well and reported that the pain and numbness that she described preoperatively had been resolved.