title: Unusual presentation of carpal tunnel syndrome with cutaneous signs: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a neurological impairment caused by compression of the median nerve throughout the carpal tunnel, which consequently induces ischemia and mechanical disruption, dysfunctional axonal transport, and epidural blood flow. Most common symptoms include numbness, rather than pain, with a typical night exacerbation, weakness, paresthesia, and loss of sensitive discrimination. In rare cases, such syndrome may present with cutaneous manifestations localized on the distal phalanges of the hands, even without the above mentioned neurological symptoms. We describe a case of a woman who came to our attention complaining of the appearance of recurrent bullous eruptions involving the distal phalanges innervated by the median nerve. She did not report any neurological signs whatsoever. After excluding a bullous disease, we further investigated through additional analysis that revealed a CTS. Hence, physicians should consider CTS as a differential diagnosis when assessing cutaneous lesions of the first three fingers of the hands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Unit of Dermatology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. c.foti@dermatologia.uniba.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vestita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology