"Dorsal Guttering"

"Dorsal Guttering"

Dorsal guttering refers to the marked prominence of the extensor tendons on the dorsal surface of the hand when intrinsic hand muscles (especially interossei) are wasted, as may occur in an ulnar nerve lesion, a lower brachial plexus lesion, or a T1 root lesion. Benign extramedullary tumors at the foramen magnum may also produce this picture (remote atrophy, a "false-localizing sign"). In many elderly people the extensor tendons are prominent in the absence of significant muscle wasting.

 

Cross References

Wasting