[Bilateral idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome in a child under 10 years of age]
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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
Metacarpal Small Incision for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Published on: April 5, 2024
G Aznar--Laín1, N Ailouti-Caballero, J M Espadaler-Gamissans
1Servicio de Pediatría, Hospitaldel Mar. Pg. Marítim 25-29, E-08003 Barcelona. gaznar@imas.imim.es
Insights
This case study highlights a rare instance of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome in a 9-year-old boy. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention led to a full recovery, emphasizing the importance of considering this condition in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Surgical Case Reports
Background:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common adult neuropathy, rarely seen in children under 10.
- Etiologies in children include storage diseases, anatomical issues, trauma, and idiopathic cases.
Observation:
- A 9-year-old boy presented with a year of bilateral hand paresthesias and mobility limitations.
- He was diagnosed with idiopathic bilateral CTS, with no other contributing factors identified after extensive testing.
- The patient also met criteria for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.
Findings:
- Electroneurography confirmed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.
- The patient underwent successful bilateral surgical release, resulting in complete symptom resolution.
- This case represents a rare, idiopathic, and bilateral presentation in a pre-pubertal child.
Implications:
- Highlights the need to consider CTS in pediatric patients presenting with hand paresthesias, even if rare.
- Emphasizes the diagnostic utility of electroneurography in pediatric CTS.
- Successful surgical outcomes underscore the effectiveness of surgical release for pediatric CTS.
Introduction:
The carpal tunnel syndrome is the most frequent compression neuropathy in the adult population, being very uncommon in children, particularly under the age of 10 years. The most frequent etiology is the lisosomal storage diseases, followed by anatomical disorders, trauma, intensive sports practice and some idiopathic cases among others. In this paper we are presenting a case of an idiopathic and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome in a 9 years old boy.
Case Report:
A 9 year-old patient suffering daily paresthaesias in both hands for a year, producing limitations in hand mobility which disappear after physical movement of the hands. He played basketball at school, he was right handed and had no history of systemic family illnesses. After the exploration, he scored 4/5 in left thumb abductor strength and no thenar muscle hypotrophy. He achieved the criteria of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Electroneurography tests confirmed the diagnosis. The etiology study was normal after completed. After bilateral surgery, the patient achieved a complete recovery.
Conclusions:
The importance of this clinical case lies in its rare manifestation in children under the age of 10, being bilateral and not being included in the most frequent etiology group. It has a late diagnosis because it has an etiology and clinical manifestation different from adults. The diagnosis is being done through electroneurography. Open surgical release is almost ever the treatment.
