Intersection syndrome: ultrasound imaging

Abstract

To evaluate the use of ultrasound for the diagnosis of intersection syndrome. A total of 1,131 reports from hand and wrist ultrasound examinations performed between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2012 were re-evaluated. Two hundred and fifteen video clips present in the electronic database were reviewed by two musculoskeletal radiologists with 20 years of experience. Of the 215 video clips reviewed, 21 patients were diagnosed with intersection syndrome. The mean age was 45 years (ranging from 22 to 60); 15 were male (13 with proximal intersection syndrome, 2 with distal intersection syndrome) and 6 female (5 with proximal intersection syndrome, 1 with distal intersection syndrome). Intersection syndrome was identified in 1.9 % of all patients evaluated in the setting of a specialized hospital. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, simple, and economical method for the identification of intersection syndrome, tendon sheath anatomy (individual or separate sheaths) and to exclude other pathological conditions.