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Ultrasound of the small joints of the hands and feet: current status

The aim of this article was to review the current status of ultrasound imaging of patients with rheumatological disorders of the hands and feet. Ultrasound machines with high-resolution surface probes are readily available in most radiology departments and can be used to address important clinical q...

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Autor principal: McNally, E. G.
Formato: Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Springer-Verlag 2007
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2141652/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17712556
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00256-007-0356-9
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author McNally, E. G.
author_facet McNally, E. G.
author_sort McNally, E. G.
collection PubMed
description The aim of this article was to review the current status of ultrasound imaging of patients with rheumatological disorders of the hands and feet. Ultrasound machines with high-resolution surface probes are readily available in most radiology departments and can be used to address important clinical questions posed by the rheumatologist and sports and rehabilitation physician. There is increasing evidence that ultrasound detects synovitis that is silent to clinical examination. Detection and classification of synovitis and the early detection of bone erosions are important in clinical decision making. Ultrasound has many advantages over other imaging techniques with which it is compared, particularly magnetic resonance. The ability to carry out a rapid assessment of many widely spaced joints, coupled with clinical correlation, the ability to move and stress musculoskeletal structures and the use of ultrasound to guide therapy accurately are principal amongst these. The use of colour flow Doppler studies provides a measure of neovascularisation within the synovial lining of joints and tendons, and within tendons themselves, that is not available with other imaging techniques. Disadvantages compared to MRI include small field of view, poor image presentation, and difficulty in demonstrating cartilage and deep joints in their entirety. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance provides a better measure of capillary permeability and extracellular fluid than does ultrasound. The ability to image simultaneously multiple small joints in the hands and feet and their enhancement characteristics cannot be matched with ultrasound, though future developments in 3-D ultrasound may narrow this gap. Magnetic resonance provides a more uniform and reproducible image for long-term follow-up studies.
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spelling pubmed-21416522007-12-20 Ultrasound of the small joints of the hands and feet: current status McNally, E. G. Skeletal Radiol Review Article The aim of this article was to review the current status of ultrasound imaging of patients with rheumatological disorders of the hands and feet. Ultrasound machines with high-resolution surface probes are readily available in most radiology departments and can be used to address important clinical questions posed by the rheumatologist and sports and rehabilitation physician. There is increasing evidence that ultrasound detects synovitis that is silent to clinical examination. Detection and classification of synovitis and the early detection of bone erosions are important in clinical decision making. Ultrasound has many advantages over other imaging techniques with which it is compared, particularly magnetic resonance. The ability to carry out a rapid assessment of many widely spaced joints, coupled with clinical correlation, the ability to move and stress musculoskeletal structures and the use of ultrasound to guide therapy accurately are principal amongst these. The use of colour flow Doppler studies provides a measure of neovascularisation within the synovial lining of joints and tendons, and within tendons themselves, that is not available with other imaging techniques. Disadvantages compared to MRI include small field of view, poor image presentation, and difficulty in demonstrating cartilage and deep joints in their entirety. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance provides a better measure of capillary permeability and extracellular fluid than does ultrasound. The ability to image simultaneously multiple small joints in the hands and feet and their enhancement characteristics cannot be matched with ultrasound, though future developments in 3-D ultrasound may narrow this gap. Magnetic resonance provides a more uniform and reproducible image for long-term follow-up studies. Springer-Verlag 2007-08-22 2008-02 /pmc/articles/PMC2141652/ /pubmed/17712556 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00256-007-0356-9 Text en © ISS 2007
spellingShingle Review Article
McNally, E. G.
Ultrasound of the small joints of the hands and feet: current status
title Ultrasound of the small joints of the hands and feet: current status
title_full Ultrasound of the small joints of the hands and feet: current status
title_fullStr Ultrasound of the small joints of the hands and feet: current status
title_full_unstemmed Ultrasound of the small joints of the hands and feet: current status
title_short Ultrasound of the small joints of the hands and feet: current status
title_sort ultrasound of the small joints of the hands and feet: current status
topic Review Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2141652/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17712556
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00256-007-0356-9
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