سندرم تونل كارپ و جنبه هاي مختلف باليني و دموگرافيكي آن

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Its Different Clinical and Demographic Features

Introduction: Carpal tunnel syndrome is an important cause of pain and functional impairment of the hand due to compression of the median nerve at wrist. About 0.5% of the general population report being diagnosed with this syndrome, but few patients consult clinicians and disease becomes self-limited. Although, the treatment is conservative, some patients require surgery. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the various clinical and demographic features of patients who required surgery for treatment of his/her disease. Materials and Methods: From 1997 to I999, 63 patients with surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome were studied. This study was performed in Rasht Poorsina hospital. The diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome required clinical and electro diagnostic confirmation. A Questionnaire including age, sex, occupation and underlying diseases of patients were filled. SPSS. 10 Software processed data. Results: 76.2% were females and 23.8% were males and the mean age of patients was 44.81±8.67 years. 22.2% had underlying diseases and diabetes mellitus was the most frequent one. Nocturnal paresthesia (74.6%) was the most common symptoms and positive phalen maneuver (81%) was the most common sign. Involvement was bilaterally in 41%, and 17% & 5% in Right and Left side, respectively. The most frequent surgical indication was persistent symptoms for more than one year (39.7%). Conclusion: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a curable disease. By decreasing age of requirement to operation in our region, primary care physicians should refer complicated patients to prevent subsequent disabilities especially in younger and active patients.