Finger tendon involvement in rheumatoid arthritis. Evaluation with high-frequency sonography.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize finger tendon involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
The finger tendons of 20 RA patients were studied by ultrasonography using a high-frequency (13-MHz) transducer.


RESULTS
Eighteen patients (90%) showed finger tendon abnormalities: widening of the flexor tendon sheath (80%), loss of the normal fibrillar echotexture (60%), irregularity of the extensor (30%) and flexor (50%) tendon margins, tendon tear (10%), synovial cyst (20%).


CONCLUSIONS
High-frequency sonography is helpful in assessing even minimal finger tendon lesions in RA patients.
Grassi
W
W
University of Ancona, Italy.
Tittarelli
E
E
Blasetti
P
P
Pirani
O
O
Cervini
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013710:Tendons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods