Wrist Pain Differential Diagnosis
The following is a differential diagnosis for wrist pain, categorized for clarity and emphasis on critical conditions.
- Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Tendinitis: This is often the most common cause of wrist pain, resulting from inflammation of the tendons surrounding the wrist. It can be caused by repetitive strain or acute injury.
- Other Likely Diagnoses
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A condition that arises from compression of the median nerve as it passes through the wrist, leading to pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand.
- Ganglion Cyst: A common, benign lump that can develop on the wrist, often causing pain, especially if it presses on a nerve.
- Wrist Sprain: An injury to the ligaments surrounding the wrist, which can cause pain and instability.
- Osteoarthritis: Wear and tear of the joint cartilage in the wrist, leading to pain and stiffness.
- Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Scaphoid Fracture: A break in one of the small bones of the wrist, which can lead to serious complications if not properly diagnosed and treated, including avascular necrosis.
- Infectious Arthritis: A bacterial or fungal infection within the wrist joint, which requires prompt antibiotic treatment to prevent serious complications.
- Gout or Pseudogout: Forms of arthritis that can cause sudden, severe wrist pain and swelling, and require specific treatment.
- Rare Diagnoses
- Kienböck's Disease: A rare condition where the blood supply to one of the bones in the wrist (the lunate) is interrupted, leading to its collapse.
- Madelung's Deformity: A rare congenital condition affecting the wrist, leading to pain and limited mobility.
- Tumors: Both benign and malignant tumors can occur in the wrist, though they are rare, and their diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion.
Each diagnosis has a unique set of symptoms and diagnostic criteria, and a thorough medical evaluation, including history, physical examination, and sometimes imaging studies, is necessary to determine the cause of wrist pain accurately.