{"title":"Comparison of median nerve area measurement between MRI and electromyography in patients diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.","authors":"Şule Göktürk, Yasin Göktürk, Ali Koç, Ahmet Payas","doi":"10.17219/acem/187054","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy that occurs when the median nerve is compressed within the carpal tunnel. Electromyography (EMG) is accepted as the most frequently used and important diagnostic method for CTS. Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has begun to be used in CTS patients to directly visualize the median nerve and examine the changes occurring in the nerve structure.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>In this study, the area of the median nerve was measured at various levels in the wrist in patients with CTS using MRI, examining its relationship with signal increase, and comparing this to results obtained with EMG.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Overall, 35 patients diagnosed with CTS were included in the study. Patients with normal-mild and moderate-severe EMG tests were included in the study; wrist MRI was taken to investigate the area/mm2 of the median nerve at various levels and whether there was an increase in signal. Thenar muscles included in the imaging were also evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 35 patients included in the study, 24 were women (68.6%) and 11 were men (31.4%). Measurements of the average median nerve area measured in mm2 at the distal radioulnar junction (DRUJ) and the median nerve area measured in mm2 at the hamate bone level were obtained, showing that DRUJ and hamate bone distance measurements were higher in patients with positive EMG. Electromyography findings were also significantly positive in patients with increased signal.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In some cases, the diagnosis of CTS can be easily made with history and physical examination or employing confirmatory tests such as EMG, which is considered the gold standard. Magnetic resonsnace imaging can be used as an alternative method for imaging the median nerve in patients with CTS. In our study, EMG findings were also significantly positive in patients with increased signal on MRI, making it a preferable method, especially in soft tissue-related pathological cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":7306,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.17219/acem/187054","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy that occurs when the median nerve is compressed within the carpal tunnel. Electromyography (EMG) is accepted as the most frequently used and important diagnostic method for CTS. Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has begun to be used in CTS patients to directly visualize the median nerve and examine the changes occurring in the nerve structure.
Objectives: In this study, the area of the median nerve was measured at various levels in the wrist in patients with CTS using MRI, examining its relationship with signal increase, and comparing this to results obtained with EMG.
Material and methods: Overall, 35 patients diagnosed with CTS were included in the study. Patients with normal-mild and moderate-severe EMG tests were included in the study; wrist MRI was taken to investigate the area/mm2 of the median nerve at various levels and whether there was an increase in signal. Thenar muscles included in the imaging were also evaluated.
Results: Of the 35 patients included in the study, 24 were women (68.6%) and 11 were men (31.4%). Measurements of the average median nerve area measured in mm2 at the distal radioulnar junction (DRUJ) and the median nerve area measured in mm2 at the hamate bone level were obtained, showing that DRUJ and hamate bone distance measurements were higher in patients with positive EMG. Electromyography findings were also significantly positive in patients with increased signal.
Conclusions: In some cases, the diagnosis of CTS can be easily made with history and physical examination or employing confirmatory tests such as EMG, which is considered the gold standard. Magnetic resonsnace imaging can be used as an alternative method for imaging the median nerve in patients with CTS. In our study, EMG findings were also significantly positive in patients with increased signal on MRI, making it a preferable method, especially in soft tissue-related pathological cases.
期刊介绍:
Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine has been published by the Wroclaw Medical University since 1992. Establishing the medical journal was the idea of Prof. Bogumił Halawa, Chair of the Department of Cardiology, and was fully supported by the Rector of Wroclaw Medical University, Prof. Zbigniew Knapik. Prof. Halawa was also the first editor-in-chief, between 1992-1997. The journal, then entitled "Postępy Medycyny Klinicznej i Doświadczalnej", appeared quarterly.
Prof. Leszek Paradowski was editor-in-chief from 1997-1999. In 1998 he initiated alterations in the profile and cover design of the journal which were accepted by the Editorial Board. The title was changed to Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine. Articles in English were welcomed. A number of outstanding representatives of medical science from Poland and abroad were invited to participate in the newly established International Editorial Staff.
Prof. Antonina Harłozińska-Szmyrka was editor-in-chief in years 2000-2005, in years 2006-2007 once again prof. Leszek Paradowski and prof. Maria Podolak-Dawidziak was editor-in-chief in years 2008-2016. Since 2017 the editor-in chief is prof. Maciej Bagłaj.
Since July 2005, original papers have been published only in English. Case reports are no longer accepted. The manuscripts are reviewed by two independent reviewers and a statistical reviewer, and English texts are proofread by a native speaker.
The journal has been indexed in several databases: Scopus, Ulrich’sTM International Periodicals Directory, Index Copernicus and since 2007 in Thomson Reuters databases: Science Citation Index Expanded i Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition.
In 2010 the journal obtained Impact Factor which is now 1.179 pts. Articles published in the journal are worth 15 points among Polish journals according to the Polish Committee for Scientific Research and 169.43 points according to the Index Copernicus.
Since November 7, 2012, Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine has been indexed and included in National Library of Medicine’s MEDLINE database. English abstracts printed in the journal are included and searchable using PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed.