Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common focal neuropathy that results from pressure on a nerve. The goal of this study was to assess carpal tunnel syndrome and its associated factors such as occupation, sex, and accompanying complications in a teaching general hospital.

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated 362 patients with the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome admitted in the orthopedic ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran during 2000-2010.

Results: The difference in the mean age of men and women was statistically significant (P<0.0001). The percentage of men with the disease was significantly different from that of the women. The prevalence of idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome was significantly different (P<0.0001) in comparison with carpal tunnel syndrome due to its leading causes. The most common occupation in women was first housekeeping and then hairdressing while in men it was being a worker. Diabetes Mellitus and hypothyroidisms as the leading causes of the syndrome were highly correlated with the disease (r=08, P<0.001).

Conclusion: According to the findings, most cases of the syndrome were idiopathic. Identifying the leading causes of the disease is important because their diagnosis probably prevents unnecessary surgery. By identifying such causes and/or correction of activity styles incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome and unnecessary surgical procedures would be prevented. Evaluation of patients for underlying causes can be useful, especially in severe forms of the disease to realistically assess the need for surgical treatment.