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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Related Median Neuropathies pp 69–85Cite as

Imaging of the Carpal Tunnel and Median Nerve

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Abstract

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is primarily a clinical diagnosis; however, recent advances in diagnostic imaging have increased the relevance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US) in the clinical evaluation. There are a variety of imaging findings of CTS that are well depicted on both modalities that have varied sensitivities and specificities. In MRI, the most commonly used criteria for CTS are increased median nerve size, median nerve flattening, median nerve signal change, and flexor retinaculum bowing. In ultrasound, measuring the cross-sectional area of the nerve at the level of the pisiform or carpal tunnel inlet detects CTS with a sensitivity and specificity that is similar to electrodiagnostic tests (EDTs). Both CT and ultrasound can aid in identifying alternative causes of nerve compression, such as ganglion cysts, masses, or flexor tenosynovitis. Future research in CTS imaging will include the use of MRI diffusion tensor imaging and ultrasound elastography.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, 820 Harrison Ave, FGH Building, Boston, MA, 02118, USA

    Akira M. Murakami, Andrew Kompel, Alda Cossi & Ali Guermazi

  2. Department of Radiology and Imaging, Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    O. Kenechi Nwawka

Authors
  1. Akira M. Murakami
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  2. Andrew Kompel
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  3. Alda Cossi
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  4. O. Kenechi Nwawka
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  5. Ali Guermazi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akira M. Murakami .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Boston University/Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Scott F. M. Duncan

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kindai University Hospital, Osaka, Japan

    Ryosuke Kakinoki

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Murakami, A.M., Kompel, A., Cossi, A., Nwawka, O.K., Guermazi, A. (2017). Imaging of the Carpal Tunnel and Median Nerve. In: Duncan, S., Kakinoki, R. (eds) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Related Median Neuropathies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57010-5_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57010-5_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57008-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57010-5

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