De Quervain's disease.

In 1897 de Quervain, who was then assistant to Kocher, first described the lesion at the wrist joint which now bears his name : “ It appeared that the complaints were due to localised thickening of the tendon sheaths formed by the fibres of the dorsal carpal ligament and that the functional disorder was caused by increased friction at that point.” It is extraordinary that half a century later we know little more than he did about the exact nature of the lesion. My interest in this condition was aroused because none of thirteen consecutive patients showed the normal anatomy as it is described in standard works.