Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common problem among diabetic patients. Electrophysiological criteria that distinguish CTS are considered uncertain and thus the diagnosis of CTS among diabetic patients is considered overestimated. Objective: To evaluate the point prevalence of CTS among diabetic patients in comparison to the prevalence and severity of diabetic neuropathy. Methods: Fifty four consecutive diabetic patients with various complaints were enrolled in our study. All Patients were assessed using 6-item CTS scale, neuropathy severity grade scale and a full nerve conduction study. Results: Only 11 patients (22.4%) fulfilled the criteria for diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. The commonest complaint was hand paresthesia (69.4%) which was highly associated with most of the items of the nerve conduction studies. Moreover, 6-item CTS scale score was highly correlated to the neuropathy severity grade score (p=0.00). Conclusion: Carpal tunnel syndrome is not a mere complication of diabetes mellitus but a mirror for the peripheral neuropathic status. [Egypt J Neurol Psychiat Neurosurg. 2012; 49(4): 323-327]
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