Carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) is the most commonly diagnosed disabling condition of the upper extremities. It is the most commonly known and prevalent type of peripheral entrapment neuropathy that accounts for about 90%...Carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) is the most commonly diagnosed disabling condition of the upper extremities. It is the most commonly known and prevalent type of peripheral entrapment neuropathy that accounts for about 90% of all entrapment neuropathies. This review aims to provide an outline of CTS by considering anat-omy, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostic modalities and management of this common condition, with an emphasis on the diagnostic imaging evaluation.展开更多
Background: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the commonest upper limb nerve entrapment syndrome seen in practice. In many centres, nerve conduction studies (NCS) have been adopted as a routine part of the diagnostic pr...Background: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the commonest upper limb nerve entrapment syndrome seen in practice. In many centres, nerve conduction studies (NCS) have been adopted as a routine part of the diagnostic process. In the United Kingdom, the time taken to access diagnostic tests has been likened to a “hidden waiting list”, lengthening the time taken for a patient to access treatment. In the current healthcare climate with a centrally driven aim to reduce patient waiting time to a maximum of eighteen weeks, including tests, such waiting is even more unacceptable. Aim. This study was performed in order to evaluate a simple handheld device for quantifying median nerve lesions in CTS. Design of study: A prospective blinded cohort study. Setting: Leicester General Hospital, Carpal Tunnel Service Method: Participants were recruited from the nor-mal referral stream. If the clinical findings were consistent with a diagnosis of CTS, they were for-mally consented to the study in which results from the new handheld device were compared with traditional NCS. Final test group consisted of 63 participants. Results: For the new device the correct positive detection rate for abnormal nerve conduction was 91% (74/81 hands). Of the seven abnormal results not picked up by the new device, four were in asymptomatic hands (positive per cent agree-ment in symptomatic hands 95%). There were no false positives with the new system. (Negative per cent agreement 100%) Conclusion: We conclude that this new device demonstrates a high degree of concordance with currently available traditional NCS. The study suggested ways in which the accuracy could be further improved.展开更多
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common of all focal neuropathies. Electrodiagnostic (EXD) of CTS has advanced to include Combined Sensory Indexes (CSI) improving the specificity and sensitivity of EXD by empl...Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common of all focal neuropathies. Electrodiagnostic (EXD) of CTS has advanced to include Combined Sensory Indexes (CSI) improving the specificity and sensitivity of EXD by employing intra-hand comparative data. Ultrasound (US) is a popular tool for the assessment of CTS. Cross Sectional Area (CSA) is the most consistent US parameter, but as a single test, it has a similar false negative profile to EXD. This study describes a dual method of CTS interrogation by EXD and US with the results applied to a single numerical score;the Combined Median Score (CMS). This is the product of CSA of median nerve at Carpal Tunnel inlet and CSI. In a series of 100 suspected cases, standard EDX identified 89 positive cases, CSI identified 92 positives, CMS identified 95 positives. This new method further reduced the false negative rate in CTS.展开更多
Carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) is a common peripheral entrapment neuropathy of the median nerve at wrist level, and is thought to be caused by compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. There is no standard qu...Carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) is a common peripheral entrapment neuropathy of the median nerve at wrist level, and is thought to be caused by compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. There is no standard quantitative reference for the diagnosis of CTS. Greyscale sonography and sonoelastography(SEL) have been used as diagnostic tools. The most commonly agreed findings in grey-scale sonography for the diagnosis of CTS is enlargement of the median nerve cross-sectional area(CSA). Several authors have assessed additional parameters. "Delta CSA" is the difference between the proximal median nerve CSA at the pronator quadratus and the maximal CSA within the carpal tunnel. The "CSA ratio" is the ratio of CSA in the carpal tunnel to the CSA at the mid forearm. These additional parameters showed better diagnostic accuracy than CSA measurement alone. Recently, a number of studies have investigated the elasticity of the median nerve using SEL, and have shown that this also has diagnostic value, as it was significantly stiffer in CTS patients compared to healthy volunteers. In this review, we summarize the usefulness of grey-scale sonography and SEL in diagnosing CTS.展开更多
Although ultrasound measurements have been used in previous studies on carpal tunnel syndrome to visualize injury to the median nerve, whether such ultrasound data can indicate the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome r...Although ultrasound measurements have been used in previous studies on carpal tunnel syndrome to visualize injury to the median nerve, whether such ultrasound data can indicate the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome remains controversial. The cross-sectional areas of the median nerve at the tunnel inlet and outlet can show swelling and compression of the nerve at the carpal. We hypothesized that the ratio of the cross-sectional areas of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel inlet to outlet accurately reflects the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome. To test this, high-resolution ultrasound with a linear array transducer at 5–17 MHz was used to assess 77 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. The results showed that the cut-off point for the inlet-to-outlet ratio was 1.14. Significant differences in the inlet-to-outlet ratio were found among patients with mild, moderate, and severe carpal tunnel syndrome. The cut-off point in the ratio of cross-sectional areas of the median nerve was 1.29 between mild and more severe（moderate and severe） carpal tunnel syndrome patients with 64.7% sensitivity and 72.7% specificity. The cut-off point in the ratio of cross-sectional areas of the median nerve was 1.52 between the moderate and severe carpal tunnel syndrome patients with 80.0% sensitivity and 64.7% specificity. These results suggest that the inlet-to-outlet ratio reflected the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome.展开更多
The distribution of sensory symptoms in carpal tunnel syndrome is strongly dependent on the degree of electrophysiological dysfunction of the median nerve. The association between carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerv...The distribution of sensory symptoms in carpal tunnel syndrome is strongly dependent on the degree of electrophysiological dysfunction of the median nerve. The association between carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve entrapment is still unclear. In this study, we measured ulnar nerve function in 82 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. The patients were divided into group I with minimal carpal tunnel syndrome （n = 35） and group II with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome （n = 47） according to electrophysiological data. Sixty-one age- and sex-matched subjects without carpal tunnel syndrome were used as a control group. There were no significant differences in ulnar sensory nerve peak latencies or conduction velocities from the 4th and 5th fingers between patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and the control group. The ulnar sensory nerve action potential amplitudes from the 4th and 5th fingers were lower in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome than in the control group. The ratios of the ulnar sensory nerve action potential amplitudes from the 4th and 5th fingers were almost the same in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome as in the control group. These findings indicate that in patients with minimal to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome, there is some electrophysiological evidence of traction on the adjacent ulnar nerve fibers. The findings do not indicate axonal degeneration of the ulnar nerve.展开更多
Some diseases require medical mitigation following the diagnosis, and sometimes the situation means that the patient has to undertake strong medication. However, this medicine is designed pharmacodynamically to intera...Some diseases require medical mitigation following the diagnosis, and sometimes the situation means that the patient has to undertake strong medication. However, this medicine is designed pharmacodynamically to interact with other organs before they reach the intended organ. Some mitigation imposes challenges on the involved organ. While the main organ will be healed, some drugs’ footprints will be left out to other organs. These are called iatrogenic injuries. In the case of anastomosis, it requires the alteration of surgical methods or the origin of iatrogenic injury in the arm;thus, the knowledge of anastomosis is very important to the field of medical practice. In addition, carpal tunnel release becomes vital in curing carpal tunnel syndrome. The paper focuses on a case of a 42-year-old woman found to have a complication to her middle finger. This case becomes important for studying Berrettini anastomosis iatrogenic injury, which relates to carpal tunnel syndrome. The Berrettini branch is a complication that facilitates communication between the superficial ulnar and median nerve. The analysis also provides the electro-diagnostic evidence of Berrettini anastomosis on how it can give a position three-finger and thus contribute to a force explanation of the median neuropraxia. Lastly, the paper provides information on the implication of the Berrettini branch for surgical use. The implication of pictures in the digital era can be used to analyze the varied connection and length between the median nerve and ulnar section. It’s easy to locate the position of high risk of iatrogenic injury in the palm due to the consistent location of Berrettini communication branches. The precaution is that operations have to be conducted moderately for a clear vision as the carefully mitigated practice ensures protection from the destruction and injury of the surrounding structures.展开更多
文摘Carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) is the most commonly diagnosed disabling condition of the upper extremities. It is the most commonly known and prevalent type of peripheral entrapment neuropathy that accounts for about 90% of all entrapment neuropathies. This review aims to provide an outline of CTS by considering anat-omy, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostic modalities and management of this common condition, with an emphasis on the diagnostic imaging evaluation.
文摘Background: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the commonest upper limb nerve entrapment syndrome seen in practice. In many centres, nerve conduction studies (NCS) have been adopted as a routine part of the diagnostic process. In the United Kingdom, the time taken to access diagnostic tests has been likened to a “hidden waiting list”, lengthening the time taken for a patient to access treatment. In the current healthcare climate with a centrally driven aim to reduce patient waiting time to a maximum of eighteen weeks, including tests, such waiting is even more unacceptable. Aim. This study was performed in order to evaluate a simple handheld device for quantifying median nerve lesions in CTS. Design of study: A prospective blinded cohort study. Setting: Leicester General Hospital, Carpal Tunnel Service Method: Participants were recruited from the nor-mal referral stream. If the clinical findings were consistent with a diagnosis of CTS, they were for-mally consented to the study in which results from the new handheld device were compared with traditional NCS. Final test group consisted of 63 participants. Results: For the new device the correct positive detection rate for abnormal nerve conduction was 91% (74/81 hands). Of the seven abnormal results not picked up by the new device, four were in asymptomatic hands (positive per cent agree-ment in symptomatic hands 95%). There were no false positives with the new system. (Negative per cent agreement 100%) Conclusion: We conclude that this new device demonstrates a high degree of concordance with currently available traditional NCS. The study suggested ways in which the accuracy could be further improved.
文摘Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common of all focal neuropathies. Electrodiagnostic (EXD) of CTS has advanced to include Combined Sensory Indexes (CSI) improving the specificity and sensitivity of EXD by employing intra-hand comparative data. Ultrasound (US) is a popular tool for the assessment of CTS. Cross Sectional Area (CSA) is the most consistent US parameter, but as a single test, it has a similar false negative profile to EXD. This study describes a dual method of CTS interrogation by EXD and US with the results applied to a single numerical score;the Combined Median Score (CMS). This is the product of CSA of median nerve at Carpal Tunnel inlet and CSI. In a series of 100 suspected cases, standard EDX identified 89 positive cases, CSI identified 92 positives, CMS identified 95 positives. This new method further reduced the false negative rate in CTS.
文摘Carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) is a common peripheral entrapment neuropathy of the median nerve at wrist level, and is thought to be caused by compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. There is no standard quantitative reference for the diagnosis of CTS. Greyscale sonography and sonoelastography(SEL) have been used as diagnostic tools. The most commonly agreed findings in grey-scale sonography for the diagnosis of CTS is enlargement of the median nerve cross-sectional area(CSA). Several authors have assessed additional parameters. "Delta CSA" is the difference between the proximal median nerve CSA at the pronator quadratus and the maximal CSA within the carpal tunnel. The "CSA ratio" is the ratio of CSA in the carpal tunnel to the CSA at the mid forearm. These additional parameters showed better diagnostic accuracy than CSA measurement alone. Recently, a number of studies have investigated the elasticity of the median nerve using SEL, and have shown that this also has diagnostic value, as it was significantly stiffer in CTS patients compared to healthy volunteers. In this review, we summarize the usefulness of grey-scale sonography and SEL in diagnosing CTS.
基金supported by a grant from the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Peripheral Nerve and Microsurgery in China,No.14DZ2273300the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai in China,No.13ZR1404600a grant from the National Key Basic Research Program of China(973 Program),No.2014CB542201
文摘Although ultrasound measurements have been used in previous studies on carpal tunnel syndrome to visualize injury to the median nerve, whether such ultrasound data can indicate the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome remains controversial. The cross-sectional areas of the median nerve at the tunnel inlet and outlet can show swelling and compression of the nerve at the carpal. We hypothesized that the ratio of the cross-sectional areas of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel inlet to outlet accurately reflects the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome. To test this, high-resolution ultrasound with a linear array transducer at 5–17 MHz was used to assess 77 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. The results showed that the cut-off point for the inlet-to-outlet ratio was 1.14. Significant differences in the inlet-to-outlet ratio were found among patients with mild, moderate, and severe carpal tunnel syndrome. The cut-off point in the ratio of cross-sectional areas of the median nerve was 1.29 between mild and more severe（moderate and severe） carpal tunnel syndrome patients with 64.7% sensitivity and 72.7% specificity. The cut-off point in the ratio of cross-sectional areas of the median nerve was 1.52 between the moderate and severe carpal tunnel syndrome patients with 80.0% sensitivity and 64.7% specificity. These results suggest that the inlet-to-outlet ratio reflected the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome.
文摘The distribution of sensory symptoms in carpal tunnel syndrome is strongly dependent on the degree of electrophysiological dysfunction of the median nerve. The association between carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve entrapment is still unclear. In this study, we measured ulnar nerve function in 82 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. The patients were divided into group I with minimal carpal tunnel syndrome （n = 35） and group II with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome （n = 47） according to electrophysiological data. Sixty-one age- and sex-matched subjects without carpal tunnel syndrome were used as a control group. There were no significant differences in ulnar sensory nerve peak latencies or conduction velocities from the 4th and 5th fingers between patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and the control group. The ulnar sensory nerve action potential amplitudes from the 4th and 5th fingers were lower in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome than in the control group. The ratios of the ulnar sensory nerve action potential amplitudes from the 4th and 5th fingers were almost the same in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome as in the control group. These findings indicate that in patients with minimal to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome, there is some electrophysiological evidence of traction on the adjacent ulnar nerve fibers. The findings do not indicate axonal degeneration of the ulnar nerve.
文摘Some diseases require medical mitigation following the diagnosis, and sometimes the situation means that the patient has to undertake strong medication. However, this medicine is designed pharmacodynamically to interact with other organs before they reach the intended organ. Some mitigation imposes challenges on the involved organ. While the main organ will be healed, some drugs’ footprints will be left out to other organs. These are called iatrogenic injuries. In the case of anastomosis, it requires the alteration of surgical methods or the origin of iatrogenic injury in the arm;thus, the knowledge of anastomosis is very important to the field of medical practice. In addition, carpal tunnel release becomes vital in curing carpal tunnel syndrome. The paper focuses on a case of a 42-year-old woman found to have a complication to her middle finger. This case becomes important for studying Berrettini anastomosis iatrogenic injury, which relates to carpal tunnel syndrome. The Berrettini branch is a complication that facilitates communication between the superficial ulnar and median nerve. The analysis also provides the electro-diagnostic evidence of Berrettini anastomosis on how it can give a position three-finger and thus contribute to a force explanation of the median neuropraxia. Lastly, the paper provides information on the implication of the Berrettini branch for surgical use. The implication of pictures in the digital era can be used to analyze the varied connection and length between the median nerve and ulnar section. It’s easy to locate the position of high risk of iatrogenic injury in the palm due to the consistent location of Berrettini communication branches. The precaution is that operations have to be conducted moderately for a clear vision as the carefully mitigated practice ensures protection from the destruction and injury of the surrounding structures.
