Which condition is inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist?

• A. De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
• B. Ganglion
• C. Pronator Teres Syndrome
• D. Carpal Tunnel

Answer: (A)

Inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist is De Quervain's tenosynovitis. It involves the tendons in the first dorsal compartment—the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis—as they pass under the extensor retinaculum. This causes sharp pain at the radial (thumb) side of the wrist that worsens with thumb movement or grip, and tenderness over the radial styloid. A classic bedside sign is the Finkelstein test, where bending the thumb into a fist and then bending the wrist toward the little finger elicits pain. This condition is different from a ganglion (a lump from joint or tendon sheath), pronator teres syndrome (median nerve compression at the elbow with forearm symptoms), and carpal tunnel syndrome (median nerve compression at the wrist with numbness in the hand).