Carpal tunnel symptoms can point to rare protein disorder

Carpal tunnel symptoms in older adults can sometimes signal amyloidosis, a rare protein disorder that may affect organs including the heart, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The case has regional relevance because Dr. Daniel Gittings is a Hoag Orthopedic Institute physician, and the article highlights testing that may identify amyloidosis during carpal tunnel surgery.

Greg Hansen sought care after numbness and pain developed in his right hand, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Doctors diagnosed him with carpal tunnel syndrome.

"They determined that, yes, I have a carpal tunnel issue," Greg Hansen, a patient, said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

During Hansen’s carpal tunnel surgery, Dr. Daniel Gittings, a Hoag Orthopedic Institute physician, tested tissue for amyloidosis. The disorder occurs when proteins misfold into rigid fibers and can collect in organs, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

"It deposits as a plaque all throughout the body and can cause multi-organ dysfunction," Gittings said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. "It's highly undiagnosed at this point and something that's under-recognized," he said.

Hansen tested positive and said the condition affected his heart. "I have some weakness in my heart muscle because of the amyloidosis," Hansen said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Gittings said older adults with carpal tunnel symptoms in both hands have a higher incidence of amyloidosis. The article said the disorder is mostly found in men over 50 and women over 60, and that medicines such as protein stabilizers can slow and prevent buildup.

Hansen said he noticed a significant change a week or two after his first injection, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.