Report of several cases of treatment of calcific tendonitis by aspiration under ultrasound guidance

Vuong Thu Ha1, Dang Thi Bich Nguyet1, Le Tuan Linh1, Bui Van Lenh1,
1 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hanoi Medical University Hospital

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Abstract

SUMMARY
Calcific tendonitis is a common disease caused by the deposition of canxi hydroxyapatite crystals in the tendons. The disease can occur in all tendons in the body and also in the ligaments, but the most common sites are the tendons of rotator cuffs, tendons around great trochanter, tendons around elbow joints, wrists... Normally, there is no pain. However, as calcification resorption occurs because the body releases enzymes that resolve calcification, patients develop severe and persistent pain. In terms of diagnosis, clinical symptoms are quite difficult to distinguish from other causes of musculoskeletal pain, but diagnostic imaging is easy with methods such as radiography, ultrasound, computer tomography, resonance imaging... On the treatment side, medical therapy is the first-line treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers. However, in fact, we found that there are many cases of persistant pain that resistant to NSAIDS drugs, because the calcific deposits are quite large (size up to 1-2 cm) so that the calcification resorption process persists for a long time. Percutaneous aspiration of calcification under
ultrasound guidance is a minimally invasive treatment that reduces the progression of the disease due to nearly completely calcific aspiration. This technique is quite easy to implement and can be widely disseminated. We have also performed this technique for some patients diagnosed with calcific tendonitis at Hanoi Medical University Hospital and had achieve good clinical efficacy.

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References

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