Ulnar compression neuropathy (UCN) constitutes the second most frequent entrapment neuropathy of the upper extremities, observed with increased prevalence among diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. The metabolic burden of DM, including chronic hyperglycaemia, microvascular dysfunction, and systemic inflammation, promotes nerve susceptibility to mechanical compression. This review summarises current evidence on the association between DM and UCN, highlighting epidemiological data, metabolic contributors, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tools, and management strategies. Diagnostic evaluation in DM patients may be challenging due to coexisting polyneuropathy, necessitating a multimodal and individualized approach. Management includes both conservative measures and surgical decompression, with early intervention being critical to prevent permanent deficits. Clinicians should maintain high suspicion of UCN in DM patients to ensure timely diagnosis and improve functional outcomes in this high-risk population.
Stamatiou et al. (Wed,) studied this question.