Acute carpal tunnel syndrome due to filarial infection.
A case of acute carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) due to filarial infection is reported in a resident of Newfoundland, Canada. The patient presented with classical symptoms and signs of acute CTS and a filarial worm was identified in synovial tissue removed during surgery that was morphologically consistent with the genus Brugia. Antifilarial antibodies were present in serum. Surgical removal of the infected tissue, without administration of antifilarial drugs, proved adequate in eradicating the infection and a subsequent serum sample was negative for antifilarial antibodies. The patient remains asymptomatic more than two years after surgery. This case is unusual in its clinical presentation and geographic location.
Gallagher
Barry
B
Departments of Pathology, James Paton Memorial Hospital, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada.
Khalifa
Mahmoud
M
Van Heerden
Pieter
P
Elbardisy
Nozahy
N
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002009:Brugia / Q000166:cytology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002170:Canada; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005368:Filariasis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology