Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
6
pubmed:dateCreated
1996-3-21
pubmed:abstractText
We undertook a prospective study of 43 wrists in 32 patients who had been clinically diagnosed as having carpal tunnel syndrome (study group) and 5 wrists in people who had no symptoms (control group), correlating the clinical, electrodiagnostic, intraoperative, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. MRI of the carpal tunnel and thenar eminence was performed, using coronal and axial T1- and T2-weighted, proton density, and short tau inversion recovery sequences. Abnormalities of the median nerve, as revealed by MRI, were found in 43 of 43 (100%) wrists in the study group and in 0 of 5 (0%) wrists in the control group. Increased signal of the median nerve was seen in 41 of 43 (95%) wrists, increased signal of the flexor tendon sheath in 41 of 43 (95%), volar bowing of the flexor retinaculum in 39 of 43 (91%), increased distance between the flexor tendons in 37 of 43 (86%), and abnormal nerve configuration in 28 of 43 (65%). Increased short tau inversion recovery signal of the thenar muscles was found in 5 of 43 (12%) wrists, all of which had undergone severe denervation changes, as revealed by electromyography. Operative release was performed for 27 of 43 (63%) wrists, and follow-up was obtained for 42 of 43 (98%). A good or excellent postoperative outcome resulted for 20 of 27 (74%) patients, a fair outcome for 2 of 27 (7%), and a poor outcome for 4 of 27 (15%), and 1 of 27 (4%) patients was lost to follow-up. For patients undergoing carpal tunnel release whose MRI revealed an abnormal nerve configuration, the outcome was improved, with good or excellent results in 15 of 18 (83%) patients. No association with outcome was seen with median nerve or flexor tendon signal changes, increased interspace between the flexor tendons, or flexor retinaculum bowing. Our results indicate that MRI is a sensitive diagnostic modality that can demonstrate signal and configurational abnormalities of the median nerve in patients diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Increased signal of the thenar muscles, as revealed by MRI, using short tau inversion recovery sequences, occurs only in muscles that have undergone severe denervation changes, as revealed by electromyography.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0148-396X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
37
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1097-103
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
Carpal tunnel syndrome: correlation of magnetic resonance imaging, clinical, electrodiagnostic, and intraoperative findings.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't