Frequency of carpal tunnel syndrome in epilepsy patients

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common entrapment neuropathy. It occurs as a result of compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel. İdiopathy, anatomical, systemic and occupational causes are included in the etiology. Epilepsy is seen as a result of recurrent seizures due to abnormal neuron discharges in the brain. The aim of this study is to invastigate whether there is a relationship between epilepsy, one of the most common neurological diseases, and carpal tunnel syndrome, which is the most common entrapment neuropathies, and if there is, what these factors are. 200 epilepsy patiens were included in this study. Factors such as epilepsy history, seizure type, frequency and antiepileptic treatments used by the patients were questioned in detail. Complaints suggestive of CTS were questioned in patients Physical examination tests such as Tinel, Phalen and Flick were applied to patients with complaints matching the median nerve tracing. Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Qestionnare Form was filled in for epilepsy patient who had clinic carpal tunnel syndrome and nerve conduction studies were performed. Data of patients with and without CTS were compared. In our study, the rate of focal non-motor seizures with impaired awareness in patients with CTS was 5.7%, focal non-motor seizures in which awareness is preserved in patients with CTS is 1.4%, the rate of focal to bilateral tonic clonic seizures in patients with CTS was 38.6% and while the rate of non-motor seizures in which awareness was impaired was 15.4%, the rate of non-motor seizures in which awareness was preserved was 10% in patients without CTS, the rate of bilateral tonic-clonic seizures with focal onset was 1,5% and was statistically significant. (p<0,001) In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk of CTS in focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures was 88.7 time higher than in focal motor seizures in which awareness was preserved and was statistically significant. (p<0,001) In the multivariate logistic regression analysis performed in our study, the risk of the presence of CTS was 0,704 times less in those with a seizure frequency of 1 week or more, compared to those with a freqency of 1 per month or more and was statistically significant. (p=0,026). Patients with seizure types that may cause more recurrent wrist flexion-extension postures, such as frequent seizures or focal onset bilateral tonic clonic seizures, may be more prone to develope CTS than patients with other seizure types. It is recommended that epilepsy patients be questioned in terms of CTS during their clinical follow-up. Key words: Epilepsy, seizure, carpal tunnel, carpal tunnel syndrome, microtrauma