De Quervain’s disease

The De Quervain’s disease - An inflammatory condition that affects one of the tendons of the muscles that are used to move the thumb.

In de Quervain’s disease, the sheath (covering) of this tendon becomes so inflamed and thickened that the tendon can no longer move through the sheath smoothly, and thumb movements are painful. The inflammation is often caused by overuse of the thumb.

Treatment is with rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and corticosteroid drug injections into the affected tendon sheath, which may be helpful in relieving the inflammation, but in severe cases surgery is needed to loosen the sheath.