False Positive Results of Carpal tunnel syndrome in Electro Diagnosis Tests

• Main Authors: MR Emad, H Farpour
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Yasuj University Of Medical Sciences 2010-07-01
• Series: Armaghane Danesh Bimonthly Journal
• Subjects: Median nerve; Carpal tunnel syndrome; Electrodiagnosis
• Online Access: http://armaghanj.yums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-379&slc_lang=en&sid=1
• ISSN: 1728-6506; 1728-6514

Introduction & Objective: Carpal tunnel syndrome is identified due to compression of median nerve at wrist and develops symptoms such as wrist pain, paresthesia, numbness and the dysfunction of the hands. The gold standard to diagnose, determining prognosis and planning treatment process based on the severity of nerve involvement are electro-diagnosis tests. The purpose of this study was to specify the least and the most false positive results in common electro-diagnosis tests. Materials & Methods: This descriptive study was conducted at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2009. Twelve different electro-diagnosis tests on fifty-five normal cases (110 available hands), which never had experienced the symptoms of this syndrome, were carried out. The data was statistically analyzed by SPSS software, using T test and Cochran's `Q. Results: There were false positive results in many of the performed tests. The most false-positive result was in- difference between median and ulnar motor distal latencies- test with the rate of 15.5% and the lowest false positive result was in- difference between median and ulnar sensory distal latencies of digit 4- test with the rate of 0%. Conclusion: This study revealed that tests which evaluate the differences between median and ulnar or radial nerves sensory distal latency (in the finger 4 and or 1, respectively), had less false positive results, and are more reliable in suspected cases of this syndrome. Also by using several different electro-diagnostic tests, rapid and efficient diagnosis can be achieved.