title: Comparative electrophysiological techniques in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine utility of comparative electrophysiological techniques in differentiating carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the background of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety diabetic patients were classified into three groups: normal, CTS, and DPN according to nerve conduction studies (NCSs). The patients in the DPN group were divided into two subgroups of DPN and DPN-CTS according to clinical criteria. The comparative electrophysiological parameters including median-radial sensory distal latency difference (M-RSLD), median-ulnar sensory distal latency difference (M-USLD) and lumbrical-interosseous median-ulnar distal latency difference (LIMULD) were compared in subgroups of DPN, DPN-CTS and CTS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five (38.8%), 47 (52.3%), and 8 (8.9%) patients were diagnosed as CTS, DPN, and normal, respectively, according to NCS. After clinical stratification, 25 patients were diagnosed as DPN and 22 patients were diagnosed as DPN-CTS. The mean M-USLD and LIMULD values were similar in CTS and DPN-CTS groups, but larger than DPN statistically (p<0.05 for all). LIMULD, M-RSLD and M-USLD were positive in 88.4, 73 and 54% in the DPN-CTS group, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electrophysiological abnormalities were common in diabetic patients and LIMULD can identify CTS in diabetic DPN patients better than M-RSLD and M-USLD.
authors.affiliation: Marmara University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Turkey. drilkery@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yagci
authors.forename: Osman Hakan
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Gunduz
authors.forename: Seda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sancak
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agirman
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mesci
authors.forename: Gulseren
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akyuz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index