Carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosed by general practitioners: an observational study

The aim of this study was to investigate the results of both clinical testing and standardised nerve conduction studies performed on patients with Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) complaints, who had been referred to the neurologist by their general practitioners. Analysis of the data of neurological examination and electrodiagnostic tests (EDX) were performed on patients that had been referred by general practitioners. A total of 232 patients with clinically defined CTS, who had been referred by general practitioners, were seen by a neurologist and subsequently underwent electrodiagnostic testing. The diagnosis of CTS made by general practitioners was clinically confirmed by the neurologist in 187 of 232 (81%) patients. In these 187 patients, EDX confirmed CTS clinical diagnosis in 180. In 40 (17%), the neurologists disagreed with the clinical diagnosis of CTS because signs and symptoms were not those of clinical CTS. We showed that general practitioners are very well capable of making a clinical diagnosis of CTS. Therefore, direct referral of patients by general practitioners for nerve conduction studies to have their diagnosis of CTS confirmed is a desirable and time-saving procedure.