Ultrasonographic evaluation of hand and foot tendons in Behçet's disease.
BACKGROUND
There have been few studies in the literature evaluating the effect of Behçet's disease (BD) on tendons. Thus, we planned to search for the involvement of hand and foot tendons in BD by using ultrasonography and to determine the relation of tendon involvement with clinical measurements.


METHODS
The study consisted of 33 randomly selected BD patients and 36 voluntary healthy controls matched by age and body mass index. Sonographic evaluations were performed from hands (flexor digitorum süperficialis (2-5), flexor digitorum profundus (2-5), flexor carpi radialis) and Achilles tendons of the nondominant extremities using an 8-10 MHz linear array probe. Grip strength and crepitation were also measured on the nondominant side.


RESULTS
Mean hand and foot tendon thickness values of BD patients were significantly higher than in control group (p=0.00). Disease duration, age, and presence of crepitation were not correlated with tendon thickness in the BD group (all p values>0.05). Grip strength values were lower in the BD group than in control group but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.344). Grip strength values were not correlated with hand tendon thicknesses in BD groups (all p values>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Because tendons tears and thicknesses are associated with inflammation, awareness of tendon pathologies is very important in rheumatic diseases. It would be of value to investigate this relationship in future studies in order to determine if this increment in tendon thickness is an indicator of disease activity and affects prognosis. The physician should be on alert about tendon involvement even if the patient has no complaints.
Gökoğlu
Figen
F
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Health, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. figengokoglu@mynet.com
Ceceli
Esma
E
Ramadan
Selma Uysal
SU
Yorgancioglu
Zeynep Rezan
ZR
Koşar
Ugur
U