title: [Ultrasonography as a tool in diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine the value of ultrasonography (US) in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred patients (400 hands) were submitted to wrist US to measure median nerve area (MNA), questioning on paresthesia and pain in the median nerve territory, Tinel and Phalen maneuvers. An MNA > 9 mm(2) was considered diagnostic of CTS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Measurement of MNA by US was > 9 mm(2) in 27% of the hands. A good association with pain (p < 0.0001), paresthesia (p < 0.0001), Tinel test (p < 0.0001) and Phalen test (p < 0.0001) was found. According to the clinical criteria for classification of CTS from American Academy of Neurology the MNA by US had 64.8% of sensibility and 77.0% of specificity in this sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measurement of MNA by US performs well and can be used as first option for the investigation of patients with CTS.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Radiologia, Hospital Universitário Evangélico de Curitiba, Curitiba, PR, Brasil. Electronic address: adham.castro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Adham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: do Amaral e Castro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Reumatologia, Hospital Universitário Evangélico de Curitiba, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Thelma Larocca
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Skare
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Reumatologia, Hospital Universitário Evangélico de Curitiba, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alexandre Kaue
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Radiologia, Hospital Universitário Evangélico de Curitiba, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Wagner Haese
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Barros
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome; Dor na mão; Hand pain; Hand paresthesia; Parestesia na mão; Síndrome do túnel do carpo; Ultrasonography; Ultrassonografia