Bilateral thenar hammer syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Thenar hammer syndrome is a very rare condition that mimics rheumatic diseases such as carpal syndrome tunnel, Raynaud's phenomenon, and hand synovitis.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the sonographic presentation of thenar hammer syndrome in a typical patient.


METHODS
Grey-scale sonography and colour Doppler imaging of the hands with an iU22 scanner (Philips) were performed.


RESULTS
In B mode, the lesion was seen as a large, rounded, heterogeneous area combining hypoechoic and echogenic components. Pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed based on presence of a cystic saccular formation arising directly from the adjacent artery and exhibiting an irregular thick wall with turbulent blood flow in the lumen. Colour Doppler showed blood flow in part of the lumen, the rest of which was filled with a thrombus seen as echogenic tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
Sonography can help to diagnose thenar hammer syndrome. Angiography may be unnecessary in patients with normal colour Doppler findings.
Jousse-Joulin
Sandrine
S
Rheumatology Unit, Immunology Department, Brest Teaching Hospitals, BP 814, 29609 Brest cedex, France.
Plat
Emmanuel
E
Guias
Bruno
B
D'agostino
Maria Antonietta
MA
Bressollette
Luc
L
Saraux
Alain
A
D000328:Adult; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color