De Quervain tenosynovitis presents with which of the following?

De Quervain tenosynovitis presents with which of the following?

• A. Pain and swelling at the base of the thumb
• B. Pain at the base of the index finger
• C. Pain at the anterior elbow
• D. Pain on the lateral knee

Answer: (A)

Pain and swelling at the base of the thumb is the hallmark of De Quervain tenosynovitis. This condition involves inflammation and thickening of the tendon sheath that houses the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons as they pass through the first dorsal (thumb) compartment of the wrist. The result is tenderness over the radial side of the wrist near the base of the thumb, often with pain during thumb movement or gripping. A commonly used clinical sign is the Finkelstein test, where tucking the thumb into the palm and bending the wrist toward the little finger elicits pain along these tendons. Other locations described in the choices point to different problems—pain at the base of the index finger would not typically reflect De Quervain; elbow pain suggests lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow); lateral knee pain points toward issues like iliotibial band syndrome.

Pain and swelling at the base of the thumb is the hallmark of De Quervain tenosynovitis. This condition involves inflammation and thickening of the tendon sheath that houses the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons as they pass through the first dorsal (thumb) compartment of the wrist. The result is tenderness over the radial side of the wrist near the base of the thumb, often with pain during thumb movement or gripping. A commonly used clinical sign is the Finkelstein test, where tucking the thumb into the palm and bending the wrist toward the little finger elicits pain along these tendons.

Other locations described in the choices point to different problems—pain at the base of the index finger would not typically reflect De Quervain; elbow pain suggests lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow); lateral knee pain points toward issues like iliotibial band syndrome.