Space-Occupying Lesions: Rare Causes Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Most cases of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) are idiopathic. It is an extremely common entrapment neuropathy in the clinical practice. CTS caused by a tumor is a rare condition and it is more complicated than idiopathic CTS. Thus, the aim of our study is to evaluate the diagnosis and management of CTS caused by space-occupying lesions especially soft tissue tumors.CTS patients treated with surgery between 2004-2011 were included to the study. Of 410 patients, 12 were diagnosed as space occupying lesion. Patients with palpable mass or local swelling and neuropathy symptoms underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasonography for diag-nosis.Complete excision of the tumors were performed. The symptoms subsided after surgery. CTS produced by a space-occupying lesion is uncommon and more difficult to treat than idiopathic CTS. Histopathologic examination revealed 1 tenosynovitis and tumors in 11 patients. The histopathological diagnosis of tumors were ganglion cysts in two, lipoma in five, lipofibromatous hamartoma in three, and hemangioma in one patient.In cases with unilateral CTS who had swelling or tenderness on the area of wrist, it is essential to achieve MRI, ultrasonography, and computed tomography alone or in combination in order to rule out space-occupying lesions around the carpa