title: Sonographic evaluation of the median nerve in diabetic patients: comparison with nerve conduction studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diabetes mellitus is becoming a major cause of premature disability in Japan, and peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the results of nerve conduction studies (NCS) and the size of the nerve determined by sonography in diabetic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty diabetic patients (mean age +/- SD, 57.1 +/- 13.6 years) and 20 healthy volunteers (mean, 61.1 +/- 8.9 years) were enrolled in this study. Patients' wrists that had symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome were not included in the study; those that were included had negative Phalen test results. We then divided the patients into 2 groups (patients with and without diabetic symmetric polyneuropathy [DPN]). The cross-sectional area (CSA) was measured in the carpal tunnel 5 cm proximal to the wrist and elbow joint of the median nerve.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant increase in the CSA in patients with DPN in the carpal tunnel compared with the control participants (P < .01) and patients without DPN (P < .01). The CSA in the carpal tunnel showed a significant correlation with the motor nerve conduction velocity (r = -0.473).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CSA of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of patients with DPN is greater than that in patients without DPN and healthy individuals and correlates with NCS.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory Section, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seishima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014463:Ultrasonography