The purpose of this series was to describe the ultrasonographic and radiographic manifestations of changes to the hands and wrists in 50 patients with chronic musculoskeletal symptoms secondary to Chikungunya fever during the 2016 outbreak that occurred in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Most of the plain radiographs were normal (62%). The most common ultrasonographic findings were small joint synovitis (84%), wrist synovitis (74%), finger tenosynovitis (70%), and cellulitis (50%). In most cases, power Doppler did not show an increase in synovial vascular flow. The plain radiographs showed no specific findings, whereas the ultrasound images revealed synovial compromise and neural thickening.
ObjectiveTo describe the main ultrasound findings of chikungunya fever in the
ankle.Materials and MethodsThis was a cross-sectional observational study involving 52 patients referred
to the Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto and presenting with
clinical and biochemical evidence of chikungunya fever. The examinations
were performed by a radiologist with more than 20 years of experience in
ultrasound.ResultsThe predominant gender was female (in 88.5%), and the mean age was 58.4
years. The majority (61.5%) of the patients came from the northern part of
the city of Rio de Janeiro, and 46.2% were using corticosteroids to treat
inflammatory symptoms. The most common alterations observed by ultrasound
were joint effusion (in 69.2%), tenosynovitis (in 59.6%), cellulitis (in
46.2%), Kager's fat pad thickening (in 29.9%), myositis (of the soleus or
flexor hallucis longus muscle) (in 17.3%), retrocalcaneal bursitis (in
5.8%), tendon ruptures (in 3.8%), and increased vascular flow on power
Doppler (in 3.8%).ConclusionSigns of synovitis and tenosynovitis were the main ultrasound findings in a
predominantly female population with a mean age of 58.4 years. Further
studies are needed in order to define the role of ultrasound in the
follow-up of such patients.
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