Utility of Median-to-Ulnar Sensory Comparative Nerve Conduction Study to Increase Diagnostic Accuracy in Mild Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Mymensingh Med J. 2023 Oct;32(4):1156-1162.

Abstract

Electro-physiological diagnosis of mild Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) based on traditional median motor and sensory studies are often inconclusive. Therefore, we wanted to investigate the utility of Median-to-Ulnar Sensory Conduction studies in diagnosis of mild CTS. Data from Nerve conduction study (NCS) of 82 cases with symptoms suggestive of CTS from September 2017 to October 2020 attending electrophysiology department of Mount Adora Hospital, Sylhet, Bangladesh was selected for study. About 54(66.0%) out of 82 symptomatic patients were diagnosed as CTS by the conventional method, and 28(34.0%) patients required further investigation as their test report were found to be inconclusive. combining methods showed 70(85.37%) were found to be positive and 12(14.63%) were negative in comparison study. Thus, it can be concluded that those patients found to be negative in conventional methods; comparison method is an option for diagnostic confirmation.

MeSH terms

  • Bangladesh
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Median Nerve
  • Nerve Conduction Studies
  • Neural Conduction / physiology
  • Ulnar Nerve / physiology