Intersection syndrome: ultrasound imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of ultrasound for the diagnosis of intersection syndrome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 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.

RESULTS: 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).

CONCLUSION: 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.