Objective: To investigate the prevalance of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and polyneuropathy (PNP) in chronic hemodialysis patients, and to know the relationships between the clinical symptoms and electrophysiological evidence of CTS, the edema of the hand and CTS, and the shunt side and CTS.
Method: We carried out a standardized nerve conduction study on 30 patients who had undergone a chronic dialysis for varying lengths of time. Differential diagnosis between CTS and PNP was done on the basis of difference of the median-ulnar motor and sensory latencies in the patients with a prolonged distal median motor or sensory latency.
Results: Sixteen (54%) had a combined PNP with the CTS; Seven (23%) patients had a PNP only; Two (7%) patients had a CTS only. There was no definite findings of peripheral neuropathy in five (17%) patients. Among eighteen patients with the CTS, sixteen were subclinical and two were overt CTS. Presence of edema and shunt was not crucial for the development of CTS.
Conclusion: Prevalence of CTS in chronic hemodialysis patients was 60%. Subclinical CTS was more frequent compared to the overt CTS. Dialysis patients need a frequent nerve conduction study for the early identification of carpal tunnel syndrome and to avoid the irreversible nerve damage.
