This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by BLAND, J. D. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by BLAND, J. D. P. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Family History Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Value of the History in the Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

From the EEG Department, Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Kent, UK

Correspondence: Dr. Jeremy Bland, EEG Department, Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Ethelbert Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3NG, UK, Email: Jeremy.Bland{at}kch-t.sthames.nhs.uk

Details of the clinical history were elicited by questionnaire from 8,223 patients with suspected carpal tunnel syndrome and compared with the neurophysiological findings. Distribution of symptoms to the radial part of the hand and nocturnal exacerbation of symptoms showed the strongest individual correlations with positive nerve conduction studies. The regression model derived from the complete questionnaire achieved an overall sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 55% for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome when compared with the nerve conduction study results as a gold standard. A simple regression model for evaluating the history compares favourably with widely used clinical signs in its ability to predict the findings of nerve conduction studies.

Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume), Vol. 25, No. 5, 445-450 (2000)
DOI: 10.1016/S0266-7681(00)80009-1


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. E. J. HEMS, R. MILLER, A. MASSRAF, and J. GREEN Assessment of a diagnostic questionnaire and protocol for management of carpal tunnel syndrome J Hand Surg Eur Vol., October 1, 2009; 34(5): 665 - 670. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]