High-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS) of the meniscal cyst of the knee: our experience.
OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to assess the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS) in the detection of meniscal cysts.


METHODS
Over a 2-year period, 1,857 patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee for traumatic or degenerative disorders. All patients with MRI evidence of a meniscal cyst were studied by HRUS. HRUS was also performed on an equal number of patients without MRI evidence of meniscal cyst who were used as a control group. All HRUS examinations were conducted by a radiologist blinded to the MRI findings. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of HRUS were assessed with reference to MRI. All patients underwent surgery, and the resected masses were studied by histological examination.


RESULTS
MRI allowed identification of a meniscal cyst in 52 patients. HRUS enabled correct detection of the meniscal cyst in 49/52 cases. In the control group, HRUS excluded the presence of meniscal cysts in all cases. HRUS had a sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 94.23%, 100%, 100% and 94.54%, respectively, for the detection of meniscal cysts.


CONCLUSIONS
HRUS is a fairly reliable technique in the detection, characterisation and differentiation of the different forms of meniscal cyst.
DIBIMEL, Sezione di Scienze Radiologiche, Università degli studi di Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, I-90127 Palermo, Italy. drdiving@yahoo.it
F
F
Sorrentino
A
A
Iovane
A
A
Nicosia
A
A
Vaccari
F
F
Candela
P G
PG
Cimino
M
M
Midiri
D000328:Adult; D003560:Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography