The familial incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome in patients with unilateral and bilateral disease.

The controversy has been considerable regarding the incidence of familial carpal tunnel syndrome. Of particular interest is the relationship between bilateral disease and familial incidence. In this study, we compare the incidence of familial carpal tunnel syndrome in patients with the syndrome in one, both, or neither hands. We report a significantly greater incidence of familial carpal tunnel syndrome in those patients with bilateral disease than in a similar population of patients with either unilateral disease or no carpal tunnel syndrome. These results may imply inheritability of variations in the size of the tunnel or its contents, which would manifest themselves bilaterally and may cause a predisposition for developing the syndrome. Being aware of the propensity for bilateral disease may improve our ability to prevent and treat the disease.