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February 9, 2012

De Quervain's Tenosynovitis

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What is De Quervain's tenosynovitis?

De Quervain's tenosynovitis is inflammation of tendons on the side of the wrist at the base of the thumb. These tendons include the extensor pollicis brevis and the abductor pollicis longus tendons.

De Quervain's tenosynovitis can be brought on by simple strain injury to the extensor pollicus longus tendon. Typical causes include stresses such as lifting young children into car seats, lifting heavy grocery bags by the loops, and lifting gardening pots up and into place.

What are symptoms of De Quervain's tenosynovitis?

De Quervain's tenosynovitis causes pain and tenderness at the side of the wrist beneath the base of the thumb. Sometimes there is slight swelling and redness in the area.

How is De Quervain's tenosynovitis diagnosed?

De Quervain's tenosynovitis is diagnosed based on the typical appearance, location of pain, and tenderness of the affected wrist. De Quervain's tenosynovitis is usually associated with pain when the thumb is folded across the palm and the fingers are flexed over the thumb as the hand is pulled away from the involved wrist area. (This is referred to as the Finkelstein maneuver.)

How is De Quervain's tenosynovitis treated?

Treatments for De Quervain's tenosynovitis includes any combination of rest, splinting, ice, antiinflammation medication, and/or cortisone injection. Cortisone injection is extremely effective and is generally the optimal treatment. Normal activity may be resumed within three weeks after an injection. Surgery is only rarely necessary and usually reserved for persisting inflammation after failure of at least one cortisone injection.

What is the outlook (prognosis) with De Quervain's tenosynovitis?

Excellent. The patient can generally return to full function after the inflammation quiets down with treatment. Sometimes bracing is used during future activities that involve repetitive wrist motion.


Last Editorial Review: 4/10/2008




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DeQuervain's Tenosynovitis

What are corticosteroids?

Corticosteroids are a class of medications that are related to cortisone, a steroid. Medications of this class powerfully reduce inflammation. They are used to reduce the inflammation caused by a variety of diseases. Cortisone is one type of corticosteroid. For the purpose of this review, "cortisone" is used interchangeably with "corticosteroid."

Corticosteroids can be taken by mouth, inhaled, applied to the skin, given intravenously (into a vein), or injected into the tissues of the body. Examples of corticosteroids include prednisone and prednisolone (given by mouth), methylprednisolone sodium succinate injection (Solu-Medrol) (given intravenously), as well as triamcinolone, Kenalog, Celestone, methylprednisolone (Depo-Medrol), and others (given by injection into body tissues). This article describes the role of cortisone injections into the soft tissues and joints.

Is a cortisone injecti...

Read the Cortisone Injection article »




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