[Carpal tunnel syndrome in childhood. Apropos of a familial and idiopathic case].

The authors report an uncommon' case of carpal tunnel syndrome in a ten year old girl. Symptoms are typical with noctural paresthesias. The nerve conductor studies show a important compression with thenar atrophy. In consideration of the importance of nocturnal pain and amyotrophy an operation was decided. At operation, the median nerve is found constricted under tickened transverse carpal ligament. At the wrist, the volume of nerve is normal, there are not anomalous muscles or inflammatory tenosynovitis. In fact, the appearance of median nerve is identical to the cases of carpal tunnel syndrome in adult. After surgery symptomsare abolished. The mother of the young girl, 37 year old, also present a bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome with onset at the age of 10 years. There is a important thenar atrophy. At operation, the nerve is very constricted with a tickened transverse carpal ligament; no other anomaly is noted. A study of literature complete these observations.