Acute Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from Dissected and Thrombosed Persistent Median Artery Diagnosed at Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Introduction

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a neuropathy caused by compression of the median nerve leading to paresthesia of the fingers in the median nerve distribution, weakness of the thenar muscles and pain. The underlying cause may be idiopathic, but can include tenosynovitis, ganglion cysts and soft tissue masses. In very rare cases, thrombosis of a persistent median artery in the carpal tunnel has been reported as a cause for such compression neuropathy (Kele H et al. J Neurosurg 2002; 97: 471 – 473).

Here we report of a 40-year old patient with a dissected and thrombosed persistent median artery after a fall on the wrist developing acute CTS.