SYMPTOMATIC CARPAL-TUNNEL SYNDROME AFTER ORTHOTOPIC LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION - A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

Background. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is an entrapment neuropathy o f the median nerve and has been reported after renal transplantation; there are no reports of CTS after liver transplantation. Methods. The incidence of and the risk factors for CTS were assessed in 1350 liver allograft recipients. Results. Seventeen women and two men with CTS we re identified. Women developed symptoms at a median time of 6.8 months , and all but one received transplants because of primary biliary cirr hosis (PBC). All 17 patients were taking cyclosporine. The only risk f actor for CTS was the pretransplant diagnosis of PBC (6.7% of 240 PBC patients surviving 6 months or more compared with 0.4% of 717 patients who received grafts for other indications). Conclusions. CTS may occu r in patients early after liver transplantation; because in many cases the symptoms were attributed to cyclosporine neurotoxicity, the diagn osis should be considered, especially in patients who received grafts because of PBC.