Review
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World J Radiol. Jun 28, 2014; 6(6): 284-300
Published online Jun 28, 2014. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v6.i6.284
A handy review of carpal tunnel syndrome: From anatomy to diagnosis and treatment
Mohammad Ghasemi-rad, Emad Nosair, Andrea Vegh, Afshin Mohammadi, Adam Akkad, Emal Lesha, Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi, Doaa Sayed, Ali Davarian, Tooraj Maleki-Miyandoab, Anwarul Hasan
Mohammad Ghasemi-rad, Andrea Vegh, Adam Akkad, Emal Lesha, Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi, Anwarul Hasan, Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
Mohammad Ghasemi-rad, Adam Akkad, Anwarul Hasan, Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
Emad Nosair, Anatomical Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Sharjah University, Sharjah 27272, The United Arab Emirates
Andrea Vegh, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S1A4, Canada
Afshin Mohammadi, Tooraj Maleki-Miyandoab, Department of Radiology, Imam Khomainee Hospital, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia 5716763111, Iran
Emal Lesha, College of Science and Mathematics, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02138, United States
Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi, Department of Chemical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 1136511155, Iran
Doaa Sayed, Department of Clinical Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Ajman University of Science and Technology, Ajman 2441, The United Arab Emirates
Ali Davarian, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
Anwarul Hasan, Biomedical Engineering, and Department of Mechanical Engineering, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
Author contributions: All authors contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Dr. Anwarul Hasan, Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon. mh211@aub.edu.lb
Telephone: +961-7-6597214 Fax: +961-1-744462
Received: December 18, 2013
Revised: March 28, 2014
Accepted: May 8, 2014
Published online: June 28, 2014
Abstract

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most commonly diagnosed disabling condition of the upper extremities. It is the most commonly known and prevalent type of peripheral entrapment neuropathy that accounts for about 90% of all entrapment neuropathies. This review aims to provide an outline of CTS by considering anatomy, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostic modalities and management of this common condition, with an emphasis on the diagnostic imaging evaluation.

Keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome, Anatomy, Ultrasonography, Magnetic resonance imaging, Computed tomography, Ultrasonography, Diagnosis, Nerve conduction study, Treatment

Core tip: A review of the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) highlighting anatomy, diagnosis and eventual treatment. This paper synthesizes all the aspects necessary to properly and successfully treat CTS, unlike past reviews which have focused on simply just one or a few factors. This review contains all the necessary material to fully understand CTS.