title: Soft-tissue changes in the hand in rheumatoid arthritis: evaluation with US.
abstract: High-frequency (5.0 and 7.5 MHz) ultrasonography (US) was performed in 16 patients with rheumatoid involvement of soft tissues in the hand or wrist; surgery was performed in 11. In 15 (94%) patients, a hypoechoic thickening of one or several tendon sheaths was noted. The thickening ranged from 2 to 13 mm (mean, 5.2 mm +/- 3.0). Complete or partial flexor tendon ruptures were correctly suspected preoperatively at real-time dynamic US examination in three patients. A discrete, elongated, hypoechoic soft-tissue nodule was demonstrated in five patients; one nodule was intra-tendinous. In 10 of 11 patients, US findings correlated well with those of surgery. Real-time US proved highly accurate in demonstrating rheumatoid soft-tissue changes in the hand. A hypoechoic rim around a tendon in the hand or wrist in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis is highly suggestive of rheumatoid tenosynovitis. US also provides surgeons with an accurate preoperative map of the lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Fornage
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D013585:Synovitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D013710:Tendons / Q000473:pathology; D013717:Tenosynovitis / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography