title: The incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the incidence rate of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and investigate the correlations between CTS and disease activity and duration in patients with RA.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective cohort study was conducted to assess the incidence rate of CTS in 1070 patients with RA who had visited our rheumatism center between March 2001 and May 2013, and had participated in follow-up at least once over a 5-year period. We also investigated duration of RA and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at time of CTS occurrence to identify correlations between CTS occurrence and duration of RA, and disease activity of RA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cumulative incidence for 12 years of CTS in patients with RA was 6.8% (12/176), and 37 cases of CTS occurred in 1070 patients with RA. The incidence rate of CTS in patients with RA was found to be 4.18 per 1000 person-years (37 in 8849 person-years). There was no statistically significant correlation between CTS occurrence and duration of RA, and no positive correlation between CTS occurrence and CRP levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our incidence rate of CTS in patients with RA was similar to the incidence rate of CTS in the general population (0.3-5.0 per 1000 person-years). CTS occurrence did not correlate with duration of RA and had no positive correlation with disease activity of RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Hun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bong-Gun
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin-Sik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Wan-Sun
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: carpal tunnel syndrome; incidence rate; rheumatoid arthritis