Electrodiagnostic Testing and Nerve Ultrasound of the Carpal Tunnel in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

In diabetic patients, controversies still exist about the validity of electrodiagnostic and nerve ultrasound diagnosis for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). We analyzed 69 patients with type 2 diabetes. Nerve conduction studies and peripheral nerve ultrasound of the median nerve over the carpal tunnel were performed. CTS symptoms were assessed using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. Polyneuropathy was assessed using the Neuropathy Symptom Score and the Neuropathy Disability Score. Although 19 patients reported predominantly mild CTS symptoms, 37 patients met the electrophysiological diagnosis criteria for CTS, and six patients were classified as severe or extremely severe. The sonographic cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve at the wrist was larger than 12 mm(2) in 45 patients (65.2%), and the wrist-to-forearm-ratio was larger than 1.4 in 61 patients (88.4%). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that neither the distal motor latency, the median nerve CSA, nor the wrist-to-forearm-ratio could distinguish between patients with and without CTS symptoms. Diagnosis of CTS in diabetic patients should primarily be based upon typical clinical symptoms and signs. Results of electrodiagnostic testing and nerve ultrasound have to be interpreted with caution and additional factors have to be considered especially polyneuropathy, but also body mass index and hyperglycemia.