Diagnosis of Severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Using Nerve Conduction Study and Ultrasonography

Abstract

This study investigated the correlation between nerve conduction study and ultrasonographic findings for assessment of the usefulness of ultrasonography in determining carpal tunnel syndrome severity. Hands of adults with carpal tunnel syndrome were assessed using ultrasound and nerve conduction studies and grouped according to median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA). There were significant differences (p < 0.01) in mean median nerve CSA between controls, patients with median sensory nerve conduction velocity ≤40 m/s and patients with absent sensory nerve action potential and between controls, patients with median nerve distal motor latency ≥4.5 ms and patients with absent compound muscle action potentials of the abductor pollicis brevis. This is the first report to define median nerve CSA cutoff values (18 mm(2)) for determining carpal tunnel syndrome severity in patients with absent compound muscle action potentials of the abductor pollicis brevis. Median nerve CSA values below the cutoff values should prompt clinicians to consider other disorders, such as cervical compressive myelopathy.

Keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome; Cross-sectional area; Median nerve; Nerve conduction study; Ultrasonography.