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Differential diagnosis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The differential diagnosis for symptoms suggestive of carpal tunnel syndrome:

  • C6/7 radiculopathy
    • there is localised neck pain, stiffness, exacerbation of symptoms on neck movement and atypical patterns of neurological involvement
  • diabetic neuropathy – remember that diabetes is the commonest cause of mononeuropathy
  • hypothyroidism
  • osteoarthritis of the small joints of the hand - may coexist with carpal tunnel syndrome
  • other peripheral neuropathies
    • suspect when symptoms are present in both the arms and the legs or reflexes are lost or diminished, or both
  • ulnar nerve compression
    • seen in the distribution of the ulnar nerve
  • inflammatory arthropathy of the small joints of the hand
  • tendon disorders
  • demyelinating disease

Reference:

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