Carpal tunnel syndrome. A new feature in the natural history of TOS?
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain whether carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in patients affected with toxic oil syndrome (TOS) is associated with conditions and diseases considered risk factors for CTS in the general population and/or with certain clinical manifestations of TOS.


METHODS
We conducted a case-control study to compare 89 TOS patients residing in Madrid diagnosed with CTS from 1981 through July 2001 (cases) against 638 TOS patients not affected with CTS (controls). Risk factors for CTS and clinical manifestations of TOS were analyzed.


RESULTS
Multivariate logistic regression analysis yielded the following odds ratios (95% confidence interval): 3.32 (1.47-7.50) for TOS-related neuropathy; 2.85 (1.14-7.13) for TOS-related thromboembolic events; 2.63 (1.36-5.06) for female gender; 0.43 (0.24-0.80) for TOS-related scleroderma; 0.26 (0.12 0.59) for smoking; and, in women, 2.53 (1.06-5.70) for fibrositis and 1.84 (1.04-3.20) for miscarriages.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study findings support the hypothesis that CTS in TOS patients is more linked to certain clinical manifestations of TOS, mainly neuropathy, than to conditions and diseases considered risk factors for CTS in the general population.
Toxic Oil Syndrome and Rare Disease Research Center, Carlos III Institute of Public Health, Madrid, Spain.
Eva
E
Estirado de Cabo
Manuel
M
Posada de la Paz
Pilar
P
de Andrés Copa
Mar del Mar
Mdel M
Plaza Cano
Marisa L
ML
García de Aguinaga
Carmen
C
Suarez Alvarez
Beatriz
B
Braun Saro
D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020423:Median Neuropathy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000506:poisoning*; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D010938:Plant Oils; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil