Abstract
Background: Suspecting carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in patients with hand pain is usual. Considering the variable rate of false-negative results in nerve conduction study (NCS), as a frequent reference confirmatory standard test, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of neuromuscular ultrasound in patients with clinical evidence of CTS and normal NCS. Methods: It was a diagnostic accuracy study conducted in the outpatient clinic of Rofaydeh Hospital, Tehran, Iran, between July 2012 and December 2016; it recruited clinically diagnosed CTS patients and a control group. All participants underwent comprehensive clinical examination, NCS, and high-resolution ultrasonography of the median nerve. Results: Two hundred and fifty patients with clinical evidence of CTS met the inclusion criteria, of whom 103 (27.1%) had normal NCS and underwent an ultrasound examination. A cutoff point of 9.4 mm 2 (mean + 2 standard deviation) for median nerve cross-sectional area at the carpal tunnel inlet from the control group was set to detect 73% abnormality in the case group. Conclusion: Ultrasonography had a sensitivity rate of 73% in patients with clinical CTS and negative NCS, increasing the overall diagnostic sensitivity for clinically suspected CTS in the electrodiagnostic lab setting to 92%. The study highlights the complementary role of ultrasonography in diagnosing CTS in conjunction with NCS.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1319-1325 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Pain Research |
Volume | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2018 |
Keywords
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Complementary
- Diagnosis
- False-negative reaction
- Hand pain
- Nerve conduction
- Sensitivity
- Ultrasonography
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine