Find in Library

Purpose: To study the efficacy of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Materials and Methods: Twenty-three wrists of healthy subjects (age between 29 and 71 with mean of 44 years) and 47 wrists of CTS patients (age between 19 and 84 with mean of 46 years) were evaluated with DTI and electrophysiological studies (EPS). The DTI was performed on a 1.5T scanner. Fraction anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the median nerve were calculated. Electrophysiological tests were also performed. Paired student’s t-test, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, Post Hoc, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-Square, Spearman’s Rho and Pearson statistical tests were used. Results: There was a significant difference between healthy individuals and patients with CTS (P < 0.01) for both FA and ADC. An FA value of less than 0.54 and an ADC value of more than 1.19 × 10−3 mm2/sec can be used in the diagnosis of CTS. Regarding the results of DTI, the sensitivity, the specificity, the negative predictive value, the positive predictive value and the accuracy were 97.8%, 95.6%, 95.6%, 97.8% and 97.1% respectively. Conclusion: DTI can contribute to CTS diagnosis on the basis of FA and ADC measurements. Keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging, Electrophysiological studies, Carpal tunnel syndrome