Ultrasonography versus nerve conduction study in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: substantive or complementary tests?

Objective. Our aim is to assess the optimal discriminatory sonographic criteria and relevant threshold values in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and to evaluate quantitative ultrasonography (US) as a tool for diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome in comparison with electrophysiological study. Methods. Seventy-eight patients with CTS and 78 asymptomatic controls were assessed and underwent ultrasonography of the wrists. All patients and controls completed a self-administered questionnaire. Electrophysiological testing was done for all patients and control subjects. Data from the patient and the control groups were compared to determine the diagnostic relations in patients with CTS and the grade of severity. Results. There was a high degree of correlation between the conduction abnormalities of the median nerve as detected by electrodiagnostic tests, self-administered assessment and the measurement of the cross-sectional area of the nerve by US (P