CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Abstract

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy. The symptoms of CTS include pain,
paraesthesia and hypoesthesia in the hand, in the area innervated by the median nerve, and often occurs or worsens during the night or early
morning, waking the patient up. Physical examination and nerve conduction studies are used to diagnose this condition. Early diagnosis and
treatment of CTS are important because any delay can cause irreversible median nerve damage. Objective: To highlight the role of physical
examination and nerve conduction study in the diagnosis of CTS. Setting: Kuwait teaching Hospital Peshawar. Period: June 2008 to June
2010. Methods: Fifty patients of carpal tunnel syndrome were studied. All patients who reported numbness and/or tingling in the median nerve
distribution in the hands at least twice weekly during the preceding four weeks were enrolled to undergo clinical examination and nerve
conduction tests. Following the clinical examination the symptomatic persons underwent bilateral nerve conduction tests. Results: Out of these
twelve patients were males and thirty eight were females with a ratio of 1:3.1. The age range was between 20 to 60 years. CTS was bilateral in 22
patients (44%), right-sided in 23(46%) patients and left-sided in 5(10%) patients. Conclusions: In addition to the clinical presentation,
electrophysiology has been proposed as the standard of care for diagnosing CTS with a recommendation that it should be performed in all
cases.