Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate therapeutic effect of local steroid injection in carpal tunnel syndrome, and to make a comparison between therapeutic effect in patients with and without diabetic neuropathy. Method 30 patients (40 hands) with carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosed clinically and electrophysiologically were injected with 40mg of methylprednisone. Patients were evaluated with the visual analogue scale after 4 weeks and 8 weeks. According to the therapeutic responses, the patients were grouped into: excellent; good; poor; failed; recurrent. Results After 4 weeks, symptom relief was noted in the 95% of all cases: 100% of the patients without diabetic neuropathy; 82% of the patients with diabetic neuropathy. After 8 weeks, symptom relief was noted in the 82.5% of all cases: 86% of the patients without diabetic neuropathy; 73% of the patients with diabetic neuropathy. There was no statistically significant difference between the patients with and without diabetic neuropathy (p>0.05). Conclusion We concluded that local steroid injection in carpal tunnel syndrome was an effective therapeutic modality for a short term and local steroid injection in the carpal tunnel syndrome with diabetic neuropathy diagnosed by palmar test also had a good effect. |