Tehran University Medical Journal

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Because of high prevalence of upper limbs pain and carpal tunnel sndrome and the need of proofing of diagnosis by nerve conduction study (NCS) testing of edian nerve is one of the most common exams in electro-diagnostic centers. In interpretation of findings of nerve conduction study presence of a normal range for findings is one of the most important points.
Materials and Methods: In this study we obtained the findings of nerve conduction study of median nerve in 60 normal persons.
Results: The mean of motor distal latency was 3.09 ms (SD: 0.35). The mean of sensory distal latency measured to peak of response was 3.04 ms (SD: 0.28) with increasing age mean of motor and sensory distal latencies increased. Most of findings had no significant difference with other references.
Conclusion: There is no problem in using of the normal ranges of the other countries for Iranian patients.

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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Background: Nerve entrapment neuropathies are relatively frequent in the upper limb. Significant costs related to resultant disability and treatment, and also simultaneous occurrence of some of these syndromes can result in alteration in the treatment approach. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of these syndromes, the rate of concurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome as the most prevalent syndrome with others, related risk factors, and accordance of clinical and electrophysiological findings.
Methods: In a retrospective study, data of the 170 affected patients to these syndromes operated during a period of 10 years in a referral center were searched using recorded documents. Information about patient's gender, age, occupation and associated co-morbidities, clinical and surgical findings and their accordance to the EMG-NCV findings, and also concurrence of these syndromes were assessed.
Results: Patients' range of age was 10-91 year (mean: 48.09 year) and 74.5% of them were female. In this study carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndrome were the most frequent (81.7% and 15.8% respectively). In 23.5% of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, electrophysiological findings were negative but there was no false positive result. Concurrent carpal tunnel syndrome with other syndromes were found in three cases of cubital tunnel syndrome, two cases of thoracic outlet syndrome and one case of Guyon's canal syndrome.
Conclusion: Constellation of symptoms, physical examination and electrophysiologic-al findings altogether should be considered for correct diagnosis of nerve entrapment syndromes in the upper extremity. Simultaneous entrapment in the other regions of the same nerve or other nerves in the same extremity is a probable condition

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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.