[Carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy]

Pregnancy related carpal tunnel syndrome (PRCTS) is the most frequent mononeuropathy during pregnancy. The reported incidence of PRCTS varies widely and ranges from 0.8% to 70% depending on the diagnostic method and the physician. The etiology for PRCTS is related to hormonal fluctuations, fluid accumulation, glucose level fluctuations, median nerve hypersensitivity etc. The diagnosis of PRCS is the same as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the gereral population and includes a thorough history, typical symptoms and physical examination. Electrodiagnostic studies such as EMG are valuable tools for the ratification of the diagnosis of CTS in the general population. But in light of the fact that the EMG examination is painful and can cause discomfort to the patient, its routine use during pregnancy is controversial and is not required for determining the diagnosis. Generally, the syndrome tends to pass after birth, on the other hand, according to the literature, it might not pass in lactating women until they stop breastfeeding and even afterwards. Treatment of PRCS is mostly conservative, and if there is lack of improvement local intracarpal injection of a steroid is indicated. Intracarpal injections have demonstrated a significant decrease in symptoms and low recurrence in comparison to the general population, and do not put the fetus or his mother at risk. A surgical intervention is rarely indicated during pregnancy.