Imaging findings of spontaneous detachment of the deltoid muscle as a complication of massive rotator cuff tear.
A tear at the origin of the deltoid muscle is uncommon and usually occurs as a complication of shoulder surgery. We report a case of spontaneous deltoid detachment as a complication of massive rotator cuff tear in a 70-year-old woman evaluated by standard radiographs, ultrasound, arthrography and MR-arthrography. We present the multimodality imaging findings with review of the literature. We found that ultrasound is an accurate modality in detecting and assessing spontaneous detachment of the deltoid muscle. As ultrasound is a noninvasive, low-cost, and universally available imaging modality we suggest using ultrasound as the first modality for evaluation of spontaneous detachment of the deltoid muscle.
Bianchi
Stefano
S
Clinique et Fondation des Grangettes, Institut de Radiologie, Geneva, Switzerland. Stefanobianchi@bluewin.ch
Martinoli
Carlo
C
Abdelwahab
Ibrahim Fikry
IF
D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries
D003287:Contrast Media