Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Retrospective Population Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE The relationship between autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is unclear. We aimed to survey the occurrence and characteristics of CTS in ARDs and IBDs, compared with the general population. METHODS We used the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2015 from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients diagnosed with ARDs/IBDs were identified. The incidence rates and surgical rates of CTS among individual diseases were calculated. The hazard ratios when compared with age- and sex-matched, and 1:1 ratio control groups were surveyed. RESULTS A total of 2,591 women and 701 men were identified. The incidence rate of CTS was highest in Crohn's disease (1001 per 100,000 person-years, 95% CI: 0-2747), followed by scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome (SS). The incidence rate in the control group was 571 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 314-829). Significantly increased adjusted HRs were seen in SS (1.44, 95% CI= 1.09-1.90) and rheumatic arthritis (RA) (1.33, 95% CI= 1.05-1.70). The overall surgical rate was 0.2% in ARDs/IBDs patients and 0.3 % in the control group, without a significant difference (p=0.85). CONCLUSION Patients with SS and RA are susceptible to CTS. Patients with ARDs/IBDs have similar surgical rates as general population.