title: Ultrasound elastographic evaluation of the median nerve in pregnant women with carpal tunnel syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the median nerve (MN) in pregnant women with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) by using ultrasound elastography.
  
  
  METHODS
  30 wrists of 20 pregnant women with CTS and 25 wrists of 14 healthy control pregnant women were evaluated by ultrasound and ultrasound elastography (UE). The MN in the patients' wrist was imaged to measure the cross-sectional area and longitudinally to calculate the elasticity value (EV) at four different locations (proximal carpal tunnel (CT) at the level of the pisiform, distal CT at the level of the hamate, middle of the CT and forearm at one centimeter above the CT). Clinical classification was performed according to a historic and objective scale of CTS. In the healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with CTS, MN area and EV were analyzed statistically by comparing with parity and clinical grade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant difference for MN area between the patient and control groups (p = 0.001). A positive relationship was found between parity in pregnancy and clinical grade of the CTS (p = 0.035, Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.386). Although MN elasticity for both groups was nearly the same in the proximal region of the CT, these values were decreased in the middle of the CT. MN elasticity values were smaller in the distal region of CT, and it was statistically significant in pregnant women with CTS (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasound elastography, which is a non-invasive, inexpensive and a favorable diagnosis technique, may be useful in the diagnosis of CTS, especially in conditions in which an invasive procedure would be problem, as in pregnancy.
authors: Department of Radiology, Oncology Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. torelogur@yahoo.com.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Ogur
authors: Z I
authors: ZI
authors: Yakut
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Teber
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Alp
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Turan
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Tural
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Gelisen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014953:Wrist / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000294:innervation