FINGER TENDON INVOLVEMENT IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - EVALUATION WITH HIGH-FREQUENCY SONOGRAPHY

Objective. To characterize finger tendon involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Methods, The finger tendons of 20 RA patien ts were studied by ultrasonography using a high-frequency (13-MHz) tra nsducer, Results, Eighteen patients (90%) showed finger tendon abnorma lities: widening of the flexor tendon sheath (80%), loss of the normal fibrillar echotexture (60%), irregularity of the extensor (30%) and f lexor (50%) tendon margins, tendon tear (10%), synovial cyst (20%). Co nclusion. High-frequency sonography is helpful in assessing even minim al finger tendon lesions in RA patients.