title: The contribution of ultrasonography and sonoelastography in assessment of myositis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the utility of ultrasonography (US) in the assessment of inflammatory myopathies, and of sonoelastography in the assessment of the elasticity of skeletal muscle in myositis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised 24 patients with musculoskeletal pathology examined using Hitachi 8500 EUB equipment with a 6.5-13 MHz transducer and software for elastography. The images were analyzed in conjunction with clinical and biochemical data. Using dedicated software for color information from the elastographic images, the average values for color intensity, hue and dispersion were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the correlation of US images with clinical and paraclinical data the highest average values for color parameters were encountered on the superior third of the thigh. There was a proportional concordance between the average values of the color parameters and serum creatine kinase and serum lactic dehydrogenase and there was no significant agreement between the average values of the color parameters and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, positive rheumatoid factor or positive antinuclear antibody.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The correlation between the quantitative colour parameters from the elastographic images and the laboratory studies suggest that sonoelastography could be an important tool in the management of the patients with myositis.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. inabotar@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Botar-Jid
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Damian
authors.forename: Sorin M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dudea
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vasilescu
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rednic
authors.forename: Radu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Badea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009220:Myositis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D012984:Software; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D003402:Creatine Kinase