title: The diagnostic value of ultrasonography in patients with electrophysiologicaly confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography in patients with electrophysiologically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective ultrasonographic study of 70 wrists with electrophysiologically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome and of 80 normal wrists. Receiver-operating-characteristics curves for the ultrasonographic measurements of median nerve were plotted to identify the most optimal cutoff values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ultrasonographic measurements of median nerves were found to be increased significantly in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome when compared with controls, particularly in terms of cross-sectional area (P <0.001). According to receiver-operating-characteristics curve results, the most optimal cutoff value for the cross-sectional area of the median nerve was obtained at the level of middle carpal tunnel, which was 9.3 mm2, with a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 77.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasonographic examination of the median nerve seems to be a promising method in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, evaluating the morphologic changes of the median nerve in patients with clinical signs and symptoms. Further studies with wider series are needed to confirm our preliminary results.
authors.affiliation: Shiraz University of Medical science, Iran.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jali
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Moghtaderi
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Yazdani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012015:Reference Standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000592:standards*