Prevalence of asymptomatic neurophysiological carpal tunnel syndrome in 130 healthy individuals

Abstract

Diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is frequently confirmed by performing nerve conduction studies. Previous studies demonstrated that abnormal nerve conduction study (NCS) is suggestive of CTS among asymptomatic individuals. However, previous studies included individuals with risk factors for the syndrome. A NCS was performed on the median and ulnar nerves in 130 healthy individuals. About 15% of individuals in this study demonstrated electrodiagnostic evidence of carpal tunnels syndrome. Four cases have shown signs of isolated median neuropathy with normal median sensory component. Results indicated that the most widely used method for confirming diagnosis of CTS may have up to 15% of false positives. However, most of those showed changes of minimal CTS. Isolated prolongation of the median motor latency should be investigated further as they are usually classified as moderate to severe CTS and may undergo unnecessary surgeries.