Imaging
Ultrasound imaging for the rheumatologistV.
Ultrasonography of the ankle and foot
L. Riente1, A. Delle Sedie1, A.
Iagnocco2, E. Filippucci3, G. Meenagh4, G. Valesini2, W. Grassi3, S. Bombardieri1
Cattedra di Reumatologia,
Università di Pisa, Pisa; Cattedra di Reumatologia,
Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, Roma;3Cattedra di Reumatologia, Università Politecnica
delle Marche, Jesi, Italy;4Department
of Rheumatology, Musgrave
Park Hospital, Belfast, UK.
ABSTRACT
Ultrasonography (US) is a
useful tool for imaging, which can be used for the assessment of joints and
periarticular structures in all rheumatological disorders. In patients with
pain and/or swelling of the ankle and foot, US provides information about the
presence of joint effusion, synovitis, tenosynovitis, tendinosis, and tendons
tears, helping in the differential diagnosis between joint or tendon/enthesis
involvement. Moreover, US allows clinicians to monitor and guide needle
positioning to inject pharmaceutical substances more safely and effectively
even in hard-to-reach sites.
US represents an accurate,
safe and low-cost technique that can be used for the examination of the ankle
and foot in rheumatic disorders.
Key words
Ultrasound, ankle, foot,
tendon.
Please address correspondence
and reprint requests to: Dr. Lucrezia Riente,
U.O. Reumatologia,
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa 56126, Italy.
E-mail: l.riente@int.med.unipi.it
Clin Exp Rheumatol 2006; 24: 493-498
© CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY 2006.