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The calcaneal lesions that could be found in EOA are similar to those observed in NOA. The frequency of calcaneal enthesophytosis is similar in EOA, NOA, and PsA, but inflammatory lesions of calcaneal entheses and of the adjacent bursae are more frequent in RA and in PsA. In terms of heel involvement, EOA seems to be similar to NOA. US shows an excellent concordance with radiography in detecting entheseal cortical bone abnormalities.

Objective: To investigate by high frequency ultrasonography the appearance of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) calcifications, in the most commonly affected sites in CPPD disease, and the relationship between ultrasonographic CPPD deposits and the presence of CPPD crystals in synovial fluid. Methods: Three ultrasonographic patterns of CPPD calcification were identified and 11 patients enrolled. A control group comprised 13 patients with no evidence of CPPD deposits. Synovial fluid was aspirated from all patients and controls and examined for identification of crystals. All patients underwent a standard radiography examination at the same sites investigated by ultrasound. Results: In all patients with ultrasonographically defined CPPD deposits, CPPD crystals were found in the synovial fluid. In two cases, standard radiographic examination did not show evidence of the calcific deposits that were identified by ultrasonography. CPPD crystals were not found in the synovial fluid of controls. In four control group patients, ultrasonography identified calcifications defined as deposits of another nature. Conclusions: The ultrasonographic pattern used in this study for the diagnosis of CPPD disease demonstrated a very high correlation with the presence of CPPD crystals in synovial fluid. Ultrasonography demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity at least equal to that of radiography in identifying CPPD crystal calcifications. U ntil now, the diagnosis of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease has been based mainly on radiographic or microscopic detection of CPPD crystals.Ryan and McCarty proposed several diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of CPPD crystal deposition disease, 1 based on the premise that CPPD crystals are the specific feature of the disease and including radiographic clues suggested by Resnick et al 2 and Martel et al. 3 According to these criteria, a case is definite if CPPD crystals are demonstrated in tissues or synovial fluid by definite means (for example, chemical analysis) or if crystals are demonstrated by compensated polarised light microscopy and typical calcifications are seen on radiographs. In this last case, if only one of these criteria is found, a probable diagnosis is made.Ultrasound (US) is a very sensitive and specific technique for detecting calcifications of soft tissues, 4 5 but only a few papers have described sonographic evidence of articular and periarticular changes caused by CPPD disease. [6][7][8][9] In this paper we tried to define the US aspect of CPPD calcifications in order to propose ultrasonographic criteria for the differentiation of CPPD deposits and hyperechoic deposits of another nature. We then tried to verify the relationship between the ultrasonographically defined presence of CPPD calcifications in cartilage and periarticular tissues and the presence of CPPD crystals in the synovial fluid and compare the US findings with the radiographic findings. PATIENTS AND METHODSWe enrolled in this study all patients with US evidence of CP...

Objective-To evaluate the eYcacy of extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT) in calcaneal enthesophytosis. Methods-60 patients (43 women, 17 men) were examined who had talalgia associated with heel spur. A single blind randomised study was performed in which 30 patients underwent a regular treatment (group 1) and 30 a simulated one (shocks of 0 mJ/mm 2 energy were applied) (group 2). Variations in symptoms were evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS). Variations in the dimension of enthesophytosis were evaluated by x ray examination. Variations in the grade of enthesitis were evaluated by sonography. Results-A significant decrease of VAS was seen in group 1. Examination by x ray showed morphological modifications (reduction of the larger diameter >1 mm) of the enthesophytosis in nine (30%) patients. Sonography did not show significant changes in the grade of enthesitis just after the end of the treatment, but a significant reduction was seen after one month. In the control group no significant decrease of VAS was seen. No modification was observed by x ray examination or sonography. Conclusion-ESWT is safe and improves the symptoms of most patients with a painful heel, it can also structurally modify enthesophytosis, and reduce inflammatory oedema.

Enthesitis is an inflammatory lesion of the tendon, ligament and capsular insertions into the bone, and it is a fundamental element in the diagnosis of spondyloarthropathies. Sonography is the method of choice for studying periarticular soft tissues because it is capable of detecting both the early (oedema, thickening) and the late alterations (erosions and enthesophytes); it is also an inexpensive, biologically harmless and easily repeatable technique. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of quadricipital enthesitis in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and to document any clinical and echostructural differences in this lesion between the two diseases. The results show that enthesitis is more frequent in PsA patients, more than half of whom are asymptomatic. Knee inflammation was found in the PsA patients with enthesitis regardless of the concomitant presence of joint effusion; none of the RA patients suffered from enthesitis alone. Quadricipital enthesitis is more frequent in male patients. There was no significant correlation between the presence of peripatellar psoriatic lesions and enthesitis. Sonographic examinations of patients with enthesitis revealed that those with RA had dominantly inflammatory lesions, whereas PsA patients also showed major new bone deposition.

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US and PDUS can be useful in distinguishing, at onset of disease, pure PMR from other diseases mimicking this condition.