The Treatment of de Qurvain's Disease

Cho, Duck Yun; Hahm, Young Gil; Seon, Chang Wan

Abstract

We treated the 90 wrists (83 patients) with de Quervain's disease, and studied retrospectively the factors affecting the result of treatment, and the results of several treatment modalities, compared with published series of this disease. There was significant association between outcome and duration of symptoms before treatment, but age, sex, associated disease, and hand dominance were not associated(chi-square test, p < 0.05). And 75 wrists received single injections of steroid and local anesthetic into the tendon sheaths with complete pain relief in 59 wrists (69%). Furthermore, an additional injection gave pain abatement in 6 wrists. And regardless of treatment method, 95% of the whole patients had satisfactory outcome at a mean of 54 months (minimum follow-up, 45 months). We concluded that injection of steroid is the preferred initial treatment in de Quervain's disease, giving complete and lasting relief in 87% of cases.