Infectious causes of carpal tunnel syndrome: case report and review.

A case of carpal tunnel syndrome caused by Histoplasma capsulatum is presented and the medical literature is reviewed for cases of carpal tunnel syndrome that resulted from infection. Over 100 cases of carpal tunnel syndrome secondary to fungal, bacterial, mycobacterial, viral, and parasitic infections are reviewed. In most of these cases, infectious causes of the syndrome were not suspected; the etiology was often determined incidentally at surgery. Although infection is not a common cause of carpal tunnel syndrome, it should be considered in patients with persistent or recurrent symptoms. For those patients who require surgical exploration or carpal tunnel release, specimens should be submitted for histopathologic evaluation and culture. Most patients respond well to appropriate chemotherapy or surgery plus chemotherapy.