ABSTRACT
To determine the demographic characteristics of gender, age, involvement of hand/hands and seasonal distribution in patients with a neurophysiological diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome [CTS]. An observational study. Department of Neurology, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi and PIMS, Islamabad, during December 2006 to July 2009. Cases reported in the months of December and January [winter group] and those reported in the months of June and July [summer group], of any age and gender with electrophysiological confirmation of CTS were included. Those having median neuropathy in the region of elbow, brachial plexopathy and cervical radiculopathy [C6-7] or polyneuropathy were excluded. Nerve conduction study was done in Median nerve. Statistical significance between the two groups [summer and winter] was calculated. Among the 213 patients [320 hands] of CTS, 70 [105 hands] were in summer group and 143 [215 hands] were in winter group. There were 15 [21.43%] males and 55 [78.57%] females in summer group and 22 [15.38%] males and 121 [84.62%] females in winter group. The female hands were 83 [79.05%] and 182 [84.65%] and male hands were 22 [20.95%] and 33 [15.35%], respectively in summer and winter group. Mean age was 44.38 years and 45.16 years. The right hand was affected in 64 [60.95%] and 121 [56.28%]; and the left hand was affected in 41 [39.05%] and 94 [43.72%] in summer and winter groups respectively. Half of the patients had bilateral involvement. The p-values for the NCS variables were not statistically significant. Presentation with CTS was more common in winter at the study centre. Female gender and dominant hand was affected more frequently. There were no significant changes in NCS parameters among the two groups
ABSTRACT
To study the sensitivity and specificity of Siriraj Stroke Scoring [SSS] and to validate the accuracy of SSS in acute supratentorial stroke syndromes. Design: Noninterventional descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Neurology, Pakistan Institute Of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, and Department of Medicine, Federal Government Services Hospital, Islamabad, from July to December 2000 and February to July 2002, respectively. Subjects and One hundred [100] consecutive cases of acute supratentorial strokes were studied in accordance with SSS and sensitivity and specificity of SSS for supratentorial infarction and haemorrhage was tested against the computerised brain scanning [CT] as a gold standard. Siriraj Stroke Scoring was applied. Patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage and transient ischemic attacks were excluded from the study. The findings were recorded, compared and statistically analyzed. Out of 100 patients 45 were male and 55 female with mean age of 59 years. Sixty-two patients had hypertension, 36 patients had one or more atheroma markers [diabetes, coronary artery disease and claudication]. Mean diastolic blood pressure was 98 mmHg with range of 60-140 mmHg and mean systolic blood pressure of 163 mmHg with the range of 90-240 mmHg. Forty-eight patients had cerebral infarction, 36 had cerebral hemorrhage while 16 were borderline cases on the basis of Siriraj stroke scoring. CT brain showed 56 and 39 patients had cerebral infarction and haemorrhage respectively while 5 of CT scans were normal. The sensitivity and specificity of SSS for cerebral infarction was 71 and 85 respectively and for intracerebral haemorrhage, it was 73 and 90 respectively. The positive predictive values of SSS for cerebral infarction and haemorrhage were 87% and 83 respectively. The siriraj stroke scoring system is a valid and specific scoring system for the diagnosis of acute supratentorial stroke and intracerebral haemorrhage