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Bilateral trigger finger in a 5-year-old child: case report
Nader Pargali1, Farrokh Habibzadeh
1Department of Physiotherapy, NIOC Health Organization, Shiraz, Iran.
Insights
Trigger finger, rare in children, can resolve with conservative treatment. This case shows a 5-year-old boy
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Orthopedics
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) is uncommon in pediatric populations.
- While often associated with underlying conditions, idiopathic cases occur.
Observation:
- A 5-year-old boy presented with symptomatic trigger digits affecting multiple fingers on both hands.
- Symptoms included triggering and stiffness, particularly at the proximal interphalangeal joints.
- The patient had no history of trauma, metabolic disorders, or recent viral infections.
Findings:
- Conservative management involving physiotherapy and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) led to complete symptom resolution.
- Symptoms resolved within 4 months of initial presentation.
- No surgical intervention was required.
Implications:
- Empirical conservative treatment with physiotherapy and NSAIDs may be effective for pediatric trigger finger, especially in older children.
- This approach can be considered before surgical release, particularly if an inflammatory component is suspected.
- Highlights the potential for non-operative management in select pediatric cases of trigger finger.
Abstract:
Trigger finger is rare in children. Herein, we report on a 5-year-old boy with trigger digits in several of his fingers since 1 month before which got worse. Triggering occurred in decreasing order of severity in proximal interphalangeal joints of the left middle, index, ring fingers and thumb. There was also triggering of the right index finger. The patient had no history of trauma, metabolic disorders and viral infections. The examination revealed triggering of the above-mentioned digits and was otherwise unremarkable. The patient was treated with physiotherapy (eight sessions) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (for 20 days). The symptoms were completely resolved 4 months after its onset. Although surgical release is recommended by many authors for the treatment of trigger finger in children, if an inflammatory process is not unlikely, particularly when the symptoms present at older ages, the patient may be treated with a short course of empirical treatment with physiotherapy and/or NSAIDs to see his/her response.