title: Familial bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome: report of two families.
abstract: Cases of familial carpal tunnel syndrome without other associated conditions are rare. We report two families in which multiple members had bilateral carpal tunnel syndromes. The pattern was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. Electrophysiologic studies were performed on nine of the 15 patients, and they demonstrated bilateral pathology of the median nerves at the wrist in all but one patient, without evidence for subclinical, generalized peripheral neuropathy. Quantitative sensory testing was performed in two cases, and it corroborated the absence of peripheral neuropathy. Five of the six patients who underwent carpal tunnel release improved after surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leifer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cros
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Halperin
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Gallico
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Shahani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010375:Pedigree