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Brucellosis as a cause of carpal tunnel syndrome
  1. G Pappas1,
  2. S Markoula2,
  3. S Seitaridis3,
  4. N Akritidis4,
  5. E Tsianos1
  1. 1Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece
  2. 2Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece
  3. 3Department of Orthopaedics, Metropolitan Hospital, Athens, Greece
  4. 4Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital “G. Hatzikosta” of Ioannina, Greece
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr G Pappas
    Internal Medicine Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece; gpeleotenet.gr

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Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the commonest entrapment neuropathy, often idiopathic, and sometimes secondary to a variety of aetiologies, rarely infectious. We present three cases of CTS arising in the course of infection by Brucella melitensis, and responding to specific antibiotic treatment. As far as we know, these are the first reported cases implicating brucellosis in the pathogenesis of CTS.

CASE REPORTS

Brucellosis is endemic in northwestern Greece. Among the numerous cases diagnosed and treated in the past 2 years, three patients presented with clinical symptoms suggestive of CTS, unilateral numbness and tingling sensation in the distribution of the median nerve.

On clinical examination, all three patients had positive Tinel’s and Phalen’s signs, and history, clinical, and laboratory examination excluded other …

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