Recent Advances in Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Samah Mustafa Fayed;
Abstract
Carpal tunnel is a common painful condition that is caused by compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. It is the most common entrapment neuropathy and affects women two to five times more often than men (Spindler and Dellon, 1982).
The syndrome most commonly occurs in the fifth and sixth decades of life, !he dominant hand is more often involved when the syndrome is unilateral and is usually involved longer and more severely when the syndrome is bilateral (Kulick et al., 1986).
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome usually begin as parasthesias in the distribution of the median nerve sensory dermatome.
Later, muscle weakness and atrophy may also occur. A clinical diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome can be established with a variety provocative tests in combination with a detailed history and physical e amination (Durkan and Johon, 1994). These provocative tests include Phalen's test, Tinel's test, Gilliant test and Durkan's test.
For many years, electrodiagnostic studies have been the mainstay for the accurate diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. Electrodiagnostic techniques measure the electrical activity of the motor unit and the conduction velocity along the median nerve (Carpendal et al., 1956).
In recent years, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging have been employed for the diagnosis of CTS.
In ultrasonography, the three main objective findings when studying patients with carpal tunnel are swelling of the median nerve, flattening of the nerve at the distal carpal tunnel and increased browing of the flexor retinaculum (Binkovitz et at., 1988).
The syndrome most commonly occurs in the fifth and sixth decades of life, !he dominant hand is more often involved when the syndrome is unilateral and is usually involved longer and more severely when the syndrome is bilateral (Kulick et al., 1986).
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome usually begin as parasthesias in the distribution of the median nerve sensory dermatome.
Later, muscle weakness and atrophy may also occur. A clinical diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome can be established with a variety provocative tests in combination with a detailed history and physical e amination (Durkan and Johon, 1994). These provocative tests include Phalen's test, Tinel's test, Gilliant test and Durkan's test.
For many years, electrodiagnostic studies have been the mainstay for the accurate diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. Electrodiagnostic techniques measure the electrical activity of the motor unit and the conduction velocity along the median nerve (Carpendal et al., 1956).
In recent years, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging have been employed for the diagnosis of CTS.
In ultrasonography, the three main objective findings when studying patients with carpal tunnel are swelling of the median nerve, flattening of the nerve at the distal carpal tunnel and increased browing of the flexor retinaculum (Binkovitz et at., 1988).
Other data
| Title | Recent Advances in Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | Other Titles | دراسة الطرق الحديثة لتشخيص حالات متلازمة النفق الرسغى | Authors | Samah Mustafa Fayed | Issue Date | 1999 |
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