The role of ultrasound in determining the presence and severity of carpal tunnel syndrome in diabetic patients.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is seen in 5% of the population and 14%-30% in diabetics. Although electrophysiological tests are used as the gold standard method in the diagnosis, alternative methods are being studying. We aimed to investigate whether the measurement of median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) by ultrasound is associated with the presence and severity of CTS. This prospective, cross-sectional observational study includes 128 randomly selected T2DM patients. Electrodiagnostic study was performed for all patients to diagnose CTS. Median nerve CSA were measured with ultrasound examination. The severity of the CTS was determined by Padua method. Among 128 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, 54 (28%) had CTS and 53 (41%) had diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy. The mean duration of DM was 11.55 years. Median nerve CSAs of the patients were significantly higher in patients with CTS (CTS (-): 10.47 ± 2.67 vs CTS: (+) 12.37 ± 3.17; p < 0.001). Median nerve CSA cutoff value of >10 mm2 predicts the diagnosis of CTS. However, minimal, mild, and moderate CTS groups had similar CSA according to Padua classification (p > 0.05 for all). CSA measurement with ultrasonography can be used as an effective method in diagnosing severe CTS disease. However, median nerve CSA values should not be used to reveal the severity of CTS, in order not to miss the demonstration of minimal, mild, and moderate groups, as well as being an indicator of only the severe CTS group.

Effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Patients With Failed Back Surgery Syndrome: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is the term of persistent back and/or leg pain after lumbar surgery. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (r-TMS) is a technique that allows noninvasive and relatively painless stimulation of cerebral cortex. It can reduce the experience of chronic pain by producing the small electrical currents in the cortex via magnetic field. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of r-TMS treatment on patients with FBSS. STUDY DESIGN: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic of Istanbul Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. METHODS: In this double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 20 patients (aged 34-65 years) clinically diagnosed as FBSS who had a history of surgery for lumbar disc herniation with persistent back and leg pain were reviewed. Only patients with no root compression and/or spinal stenosis in postoperative magnetic resonance imaging of lumbar spine were included. Patients were randomly assigned to r-TMS (n:10) and sham (n:10) groups. Patients in the r-TMS group received 5 Hz of r-TMS as a 20-minute (1,000 pulses) daily session, 5 days per week, for a total of 10 sessions. r-TMS was applied with MagVenture device (MagPro X100, Denmark, 2009) and figure 8 coil (MMC 140 parabolic, MagVenture). Control group received sham r-TMS with the same protocol. Each patient was evaluated at baseline, days 5 and 10 of treatment, and 1 and 3 months after treatment. Visual Analog Scale (VAS), DN4 (Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used for evaluation. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for age, gender, number of surgeries, pain duration, working status, and drug usage. Significant improvements were achieved in DN4, ODI, BDI, and PSQI scores in the r-TMS group in comparison to the sham group. Both groups displayed improvements in VAS scores, whereas improvement in the sham group was limited to the first month. Achieved improvements in the r-TMS group in terms of VAS, DN4, ODI, BDI, and PSQI scores were sustained at the third month. LIMITATIONS: The limited number of patients and the short follow-up periods are the main limitations of our study. Further placebo-controlled studies with longer follow-up periods and greater number of cases would be beneficial for examining r-TMS application as a new treatment option in patients with FBSS. CONCLUSIONS: r-TMS might be an effective alternative treatment in patients with FBSS, further studies with larger groups are needed.

Semivertical Incision: An Aesthetically and Electrophysiologically Effective Mini-Incision Technique for Carpal Tunnel Decompression.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to present the clinical results of our retrospective series of carpal tunnel release (CTR) operations. For these operations we used a unique type of incision, for the first time, for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) consisting of a 1-cm semi-vertical (SV) incision made into the wrist crease for macroscopic open CTR. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study included 114 patients (101 females and 13 males) with CTR who were operated upon in our neurosurgery clinic between December 2010 and June 2015. Patient ages ranged from 35 to 83 years (mean 55.05±12.04 years). In total, 127 hands (73 right and 54 left) were operated upon using the SV skin incision technique. After an average follow-up of 18 months (ranging from 6 to 30 months), clinical and electrophysiological (EP) evaluations were performed. RESULTS A review of the English language literature published since 1957, when Phalen first popularised the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, determined that no previous reports of the mini-open incision technique as described in our study have been published. In our retrospective patient case review, we found that after operations using the SV incision technique, statistically significant differences were detected in electromyography (EMG) improvements (p<0.01). In addition, patients who showed improvement in EMG studies (n=90) were satisfied with the result of their surgery. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that 1-cm skin SV incision was a cosmetically satisfying, fast, and safe approach to CTR that was not only clinically effective but also electrophysiologically effective.

Long-Term Clinical and Electroencephalography (EEG) Consequences of Idiopathic Partial Epilepsies.

BACKGROUND Idiopathic partial epilepsies of childhood (IPE) affect a considerable proportion of children. Three main electroclinical syndromes of IPE are the Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centro-temporal Spikes (BECTS), Panayiotopoulos Syndrome (PS), and Childhood Epilepsy with Occipital Paroxysms (CEOP). In this study we investigated the long-term prognosis of patients with IPE and discussed the semiological and electroencephalography (EEG) data in terms of syndromic characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included a group of consecutive patients with IPE who had been followed since 1990. Demographic and clinical variables were investigated. Patients were divided into 3 groups - A: Cases suitable for a single IPE (BECTS, PS and CEOP); B: cases with intermediate characteristics within IPEs; and C: cases with both IPE and IGE characteristics. Long-term data regarding the individual seizure types and EEG findings were re-evaluated. RESULTS A total of 61 patients were included in the study. Mean follow-up duration was 7.8 ± 4.50 years. The mean age at onset of seizures was 7.7 years. There were 40 patients in group A 40, 14 in group B, and 7 in group C. Seizure and EEG characteristics were also explored independently from the syndromic approach. Incidence of autonomic seizures is considerably high at 2-5 years and incidence of oromotor seizures is high at age 9-11 years. The EEG is most abnormal at 6-8 years. The vast majority (86%) of epileptic activity (EA) with parietooccipital is present at 2-5 years, whereas EA with fronto-temporal or multiple sites become more abundant between ages 6 and 11. CONCLUSIONS Results of the present study provide support for the age-related characteristics of the seizures and EEGs in IPE syndromes. Acknowledgement of those phenomena may improve the management of IPEs and give a better estimate of the future consequences.

Long-term outcomes in patients with West syndrome: an outpatient clinical study.

PURPOSE: Nearly half of all patients with seizure onset in the first year of life suffer from West syndrome (WS). The prognosis of epilepsy and psychosocial outcomes in children with WS are variable. This study was performed to examine the factors influencing the outcome of this patient population. METHODS: A total of 109 patients with WS followed up regularly for at least 3 years were included in the study. Relevant clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were collected. RESULTS: The male/female ratio was 65/44 (59.6%/40.4%). The mean age at onset of infantile spasm (IS) was 6 ± 6 (1-36) months. With regard to neuro-developmental and social conditions during the final evaluation, 29.4% of the patients were socially dependent on caregivers, 61.8% needed assistance, and 8.8% were normal. Among the patients, 5.9% were free of epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AED) for at least 2 years, 49.0% had no seizures with AEDs, and 45.1% had uncontrollable seizures. Parameters with significant negative effects on the long-term outcomes included symptomatic etiology, presence of developmental retardation before the onset of IS, persistence of active epilepsy, and male gender. CONCLUSION: In this study, 37 (33.9%) patients had severe consequences as a result of WS. The majority of the rest could cope with daily life with varying degrees of assistance. Eight percent of the patients had a normal development. These results draw attention to the two-thirds of patients with WS who have the chance of an acceptable quality of life (QoL) with early diagnosis and therapeutic measures.

Panayiotopoulos syndrome and symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy of childhood: a clinical and EEG study.

AIM: Panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS) is an age-related seizure susceptibility syndrome that affects the central autonomic system. Although the majority of the few ictal recordings obtained so far suggest an occipital origin, semiological and interictal EEG data appear to favour more extensive involvement. In this study, the characteristics (including those based on semiology and EEG) of children with Panayiotopoulos syndrome (n=24) and those with lesion-related, symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy (SOLE) (n=23) were compared. METHODS: Detailed semiological information and EEG parameters including the localisation, distribution, density (n/sec), reactivity, and morphological characteristics of spike-wave foci and their relationship with different states of vigilance were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The age at seizure onset was significantly younger in patients with symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy than in those with PS (mean age at onset: 3.4 versus 5.6 years, respectively; p=0.044). Autonomic seizures (p=0.001) and ictal syncope (p=0.055) were more frequent in PS than in symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy (87.5% and 37.5% versus 43.5% and 13%, respectively). The interictal spike-wave activity increased significantly during non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep in both groups. The spike waves in non-REM seen in PS tended to spread mainly to central and centro-temporal regions. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that although common features do exist, Panayiotopoulos syndrome differs from symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy and has a unique low epileptogenic threshold related to particular brain circuits.

Eye closure sensitivity in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and its effect on prognosis.

PURPOSE: To investigate eye closure sensitivity (ECS) in the EEGs of patients diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and its relationship to prognosis. METHODS: We included 76 JME patients with a minimum follow-up of one year and evaluated a total of 254 EEGs to obtain evidence of ECS. The patients were grouped according to their response to treatment, and these subgroups were compared in relation to ECS and other clinical and EEG features. RESULTS: There were 12 patients (15.8%) with poor prognosis who showed resistance to appropriate anti-epileptic drug treatment, 15 (19.7%) patients with pseudo-resistance, and 49 (64.5%) patients with good prognosis. The EEGs of only four of the patients displayed pure ECS (5.3%), and only one of these exhibited poor prognosis. Furthermore, 11 patients (14.5%) had both ECS and photosensitivity, and two of these patients exhibited poor prognosis. Thus, neither pure ECS nor ECS with photosensitivity correlated with poor prognosis. A family history of epilepsy and focal findings on the EEG was correlated with poorer prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: ECS is a rare EEG finding in JME and does not appear to be a marker for poor prognosis.

Neurological aspects of tuberous sclerosis in relation to MRI/MR spectroscopy findings in children with epilepsy.

Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between the neurological outcome of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and the findings obtained from both cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single voxel proton spectroscopy (SVPS). MRIs of 13 children who met the diagnostic criteria for TSC were taken. Eleven of these children also underwent a prospective analysis of SVPS. Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used, where applicable, to detect any signs of the imaging data that would indicate poor outcome, or in other words, poor seizure control and/ or high degree of mental retardation. Poor seizure control was seen in eight of the patients and multiple seizure types in seven. Mental retardation was severe in six patients and mild/moderate in seven. MRI revealed multiple bilateral tubers and subependymal nodules (13/13), confluence of tubers (8/13), subcortical linear heterotopias (7/13), gyral cores (3/13) and cortical atrophy (3/13). SVPS findings of tubers were characterized by decreased NAA/Cr (1.43 +/- 0.33, p<0.001), increased Cho/Cr (0.91 +/- 0.082, p< 0.05) and mI/Cr (0.97 +/- 0.19, p<0.01) ratios when compared with those of the control group. Lactate peak was detected in six patients. Unfavorable outcome in TSC can be predicted with the help of the following: multiple seizure types, a number of confluent appearances of the tubers and cortical atrophy. SVPS could be a useful clue to understand the pathophysiologic function of the tubers, especially in children with refractory epilepsy along with TSC.

A comparison of F waves in peripheral nerve disorders.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: F waves have become integral parts of nerve conduction studies in particular. F minimum (Fmin), the most commonly assessed latency, represents the largest and the fastest conducting fibers. The diagnostic yields of other F wave parameters are not obvious. In the present study, we aimed to determine the value of F wave parameters in commonly seen peripheral nerve disorders. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We studied the F responses in 118 patients who had been diagnosed with different types of neuropathies, clinically and electrodiagnostically, and 68 individuals were used as controls: A total of 470 motor nerve conduction studies and related F-wave parameters were analyzed. DISCUSSION: F maximum (Fmax) was the most commonly seen abnormal parameter in the present study, although Fmin has until now been the most commonly studied parameter in clinics routinely. Abnormalities of F waves were more frequently seen in the patients compared to those in the control group and the differences were significant for carpal tunnel syndrome and upper extremity radiculopathies. CONCLUSION: This large database showed that F wave evaluations should include not only Fmin but also Fmax.

Cranial magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with migraine.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency of cranial magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities in patients with migraine and their relationship to type, duration, and frequency of migraine attacks. METHODS: Forty-five patients (43 women, 2 men) with migraine whose ages ranged between 19 and 53 years (mean, 40.91 [SD, 7.69]) were evaluated. Of the 45 patients, 20 had migraine with aura and 25 had migraine without aura, according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society. RESULTS: In 13 (28.8%) of 45 patients, white matter foci were present on magnetic resonance imaging. Eight of these patients (61.5%) had migraine with aura, and 5 patients (38.4%) had migraine without aura. The presence of white matter foci was significantly higher in the patients with aura (8 [40%] of 20) than in those without aura (5 [20%] of 25). It was found that as the frequency of attacks per month increased, the number of patients with white matter foci also increased. Although the mean duration of migraine was longer in patients with white matter foci (149.5 months [SD, 87.9]) than in those without white matter foci (134.1 months [SD, 88.3]), there was no significant difference (P >.05). CONCLUSION: Although there are no specific magnetic resonance imaging findings peculiar to migraine, detection of white matter foci should be taken into consideration in patients with migraine (especially migraine with aura). Frequency of attacks is an important indicator of existence of white matter foci.