title: Neuromuscular ultrasound in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and normal nerve conduction studies.
abstract: Nerve conduction studies (NCS) are sensitive for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), but a small proportion of patients with clinical CTS have normal NCS. This retrospective study was designed to assess the neuromuscular ultrasound findings in a group of CTS patients.
  
  
  
  The electronic medical record was reviewed by a neurologist to identify patients who had a diagnosis of CTS with normal NCS, including either mixed median-ulnar comparison or transcarpal sensory studies, and complete neuromuscular ultrasound evaluation for CTS.
  
  
  
  Fourteen individuals (22 wrists) met all criteria. A total of 92.3% had median nerve cross-sectional area enlargement at the wrist (mean 16.3 mm2), 100% had increased wrist-to-forearm median nerve area ratio (mean 2.4), 82.4% had decreased median nerve echogenicity, 75.0% had decreased median nerve mobility, and 7.1% had increased median nerve vascularity.
  
  
  
  A large proportion of patients with clinical CTS but normal NCS have abnormal neuromuscular ultrasound findings. Muscle Nerve 55: 913-915, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Fazila
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4451-5850
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aseem
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Main Floor, Reynolds Tower, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Main Floor, Reynolds Tower, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Francis O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Main Floor, Reynolds Tower, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cartwright
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: carpal tunnel syndrome; echogenicity; median nerve; mobility; nerve conduction studies; ultrasound