Introduction: Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), particularly in male individuals with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), has been recognized as a red flag for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (TTR-CA). Nonetheless, the opportunity of screening CTS patients for TTR has yet to be determined.
Methods: Medical records of 1689 CTS surgeries performed at our institution between 2008 and 2018 were reviewed. Eighty-three males who underwent bilateral CTS surgery were considered eligible for the study, and offered a screening examination including electrocardiography and echocardiography. Individuals with LVH (diastolic septal wall thickness > 12 mm) were offered second-line diagnostic testing including blood testing and bone scintigraphy.
Results: Study population consisted of 53 bilateral CTS male patients, with median age of 73 years. LVH was found in 6 (11%) individuals. None of them had monoclonal gammopathy or reported CTS occupational risk factors. Two declined to undergo further testing, whereas 2 had negative and 2 had positive bone scintigraphy (both Perugini 2 uptake) and tested negative for TTR gene mutations (wild-type TTR-CA).
Conclusions: Prevalence of TTR-CA in the entire study population was 4%, but among bilateral CTS patients with LVH peaked at 33%. In this latter population, screening for TTR-CA appeared feasible and effective.
Keywords: Bone scintigraphy; Cardiac amyloidosis; Carpal tunnel syndrome; Screening; Transthyretin.
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