[Carpal tunnel syndrome, amyloid tenosynovitis and periodic hemodialysis].

Since 1975, various entrapment neuropathies have been reported in patients undergoing periodic haemodialysis, the most frequent being the carpal tunnel syndrome. Ten patients on chronic haemodialysis developing 15 carpal tunnel syndromes (5 unilateral and 5 bilateral) are reported. Various causes for the renal failure were present and clinical signs of the carpal tunnel syndrome developed at a late stage. The arteriovenous fistula required for extrarenal epuration was antebrachial and of the laterolateral type, except in one case when it was lateroterminal. The carpal tunnel syndrome was always on the same side as the fistula, developing at a later stage on th contralateral side in the 5 cases of bilateral disorders. Lesions were severe, in 11 of the 15 cases. Some patients noted fluctuations in pain symptoms during haemodialysis, either improving or becoming worse. Gross pathological findings during operation (13 cases) were tenosynovitis with epineural hypervascularisation on the opposite side. In 9 cases, however, atypical hypertrophic tenosynovitis was observed. Histological examination in 12 cases demonstrated typical tenosynovitis in 3 patients, but granulomatous tenosynovitis with amyloid deposits was reported in 9 patients. Lesions were bilateral in 2 cases thus present, on the side opposite to the fistula. Ultrastructural study confirmed the amyloid nature of the deposits in 3 cases, the microfibrillary appearance (80 to 100 A) being characteristic of amyloid substance. This rare complication does not represent a common carpal tunnel syndrome, and three mechanisms may be involved in its induction : peripheral uraemic neuropathy, haemodynamic modifications resulting from the antebrachial arteriovenous shunt, and amyloid formation in the flexor synovial sheaths. In the latter case, the type of amyloid disease may be a primary systemic amyloidosis not previously detected, or an elective amyloid process localised to the tenosynovial and periarticular tissues.