Investigation of consistency between clinical referral diagnosis and electroneuromyographic diagnosis

Abstract

Investigation of consistency between clinical referral diagnosis and Electroneuromyographic (ENMG) diagnosis was aimed in this study. Reports of ENMG results were analyzed retrospectively. Reports were classified according to clinical referral diagnosis and ENMG diagnosis. Data of patients' name, age, gender, clinical referral diagnosis, and ENMG diagnosis were present in reports. ENMG reports of 820 patients (225, 27.4% male; 595, 72.6%, female) with the mean age of 46.8±10.5 (17-81) years were analyzed. Clinical referral diagnosiswere indicated in all of the reports. Clinical referral diagnosis were detected in 535 (65.3%) reports as carpal tunnel syndrome, in 114 (13.9%) reports as peripheral nevre injury, in 78 (9.5%) reports as unlar nevre entrapment neuropathy, in 68 (8.3%) reports as polyneuropathy, in 25 (3%) reports as radiculopathy. 327 (39.8%) of ENMG tests were reported as normal results. The most frequent diagnosis according to ENMG was carpal tunnel syndrome (n=313, 38.1%), following respectively other diagnosises were peripheral nerve injury (n=101, 12.3%), ulnar entrapment neuropathy (n=41, 5%), polyneuropathy (n=32, 3.9%), and radiculopathy (n=7, 0.9%). Consistency between clinical referral diagnosis and ENMG diagnosis for carpal tunnel syndrome was 56.1%, for ulnar entrapment neuropathy was 50%, for peripheral nerve injury was 86.8%, for polyneuropathy was 36.8% for radiculopathy was 28%. Detailed clinical examination of patients before ENMG test, and to inform the physician who will execute the ENMG test about the findings of physical examination and clinical referral diagnosis can provide effective use of ENMG.