Carpal tunnel syndrome in children
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Updated: May 7, 2026
Metacarpal Small Incision for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Published on: April 5, 2024
Lamar Davis1, V V Vedanarayanan1
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
Insights
Carpal tunnel syndrome is uncommon in children but can be caused by various factors, including genetic predispositions and trauma. Early diagnosis and understanding risk factors are crucial for managing this condition in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Clinical Genetics
Background:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), or median neuropathy at the wrist, is infrequently diagnosed in pediatric populations.
- Mucopolysaccharidoses and mucolipidoses represent the most frequent etiologies for CTS in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical presentation and identify risk factors associated with carpal tunnel syndrome in a pediatric cohort.
- To enhance understanding of the diverse causes of median nerve compression in children.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective case series involving 13 pediatric patients (ages 2-17) diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Clinical evaluation, including symptom assessment and nerve conduction studies, was performed.
Main Results:
- Identified causes included mucopolysaccharidoses, median nerve trauma, wrist malformations, brachial plexopathy, obesity, PMP 22 gene deletion (inherited susceptibility), and family history.
- All patients reported hand pain, numbness, and paresthesias.
- Nerve conduction studies revealed prolonged median sensory and distal motor latencies.
Conclusions:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome is a recognized condition in children, with a multifactorial etiology.
- Recognizing diverse risk factors is essential for accurate diagnosis and management of pediatric CTS.
Background:
Carpal tunnel syndrome or median neuropathy at the wrist is a rare condition in children. Of the reported patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, mucopolysaccharidoses and the mucolipidoses are the most common causes.
Patients:
We report 13 patients between the ages of 2 and 17 years of age with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Results:
Mucopolysaccharidoses was the cause in one child. In other children, trauma to the median nerve, malformations of the wrist, brachial plexopathy, obesity, inherited susceptibility to pressure palsies (PMP 22 gene deletion), and family history of median neuropathy at the wrist were identified. All patients had hand pain, numbness, and paresthesias in their hands. The nerve conduction studies showed prolongation of median sensory nerve latency and distal motor latency in median nerve.
Conclusions:
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs in children and a variety of risk factors predispose to its occurrence.
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