title: Clinical outcome of ultrasound-guided steroid injections for chronic shoulder pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the short- to medium-term effectiveness of ultrasound (US)-guided steroid injections for shoulder pain in patients who previously failed to respond to unguided steroid injections.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 60 consecutive patients who had undergone US examination and US-guided steroid injection. Patients were categorised into having had a good response (i.e., good pain relief at time of follow-up), some response (improvement for 2-4 weeks) or no response, as documented by their usual rheumatologist in their subsequent routine out-patient review appointments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average age was 64.4 ± 11.5 years and 42 were female. Median interval between US-guided injection and follow-up was four (interquartile range 2-5) months. Thirty-four (56.6%) patients reported a good response, 13 (21.7%) some response and another 13 (21.7%) no response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  US guidance of steroid injections may achieve good short- to medium-term benefit in the majority of patients with chronic shoulder pain due to a variety of clinical syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS FT, Dudley, West Midlands, UK. dimitroul@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dimitroulas
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kitas
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klocke
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids
keywords: shoulder pain; ultrasound guided steroid injections