Abstract
Purpose
The gray-level histogram of ultrasound is a promising tool for scanning the hypoechogenic appearance of supraspinatus tendinopathy, and the aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the gray-level value of the supraspinatus tendon in the painful shoulder has a lower value on B-mode images even though in different ultrasound devices.
Methods
Sixty-seven patients who had unilateral shoulder pain with rotator cuff tendinopathy underwent bilateral shoulder ultrasonography, and we compared the mean gray-level values of painful shoulders and contralateral shoulders without any pain in each patient using two ultrasound devices. The echogenicity ratio (symptomatic/asymptomatic side) of two ultrasound devices was compared.
Results
A significant difference existed between the symptomatic shoulder and contralateral asymptomatic shoulder (p < 0.001) on the mean gray-level value measurements of each device. The symptomatic-to-asymptomatic tendon echogenicity ratio of device A was 0.919 ± 0.090 in the transverse plane and 0.937 ± 0.081 in the longitudinal plane, and the echogenicity ratio of device B was 0.899 ± 0.113 in the transverse plane and 0.940 ± 0.113 in the longitudinal plane.
Conclusions
The decline of the mean gray-level value and the echogenicity ratio of the supraspinatus tendon in the painful shoulder may be utilized as a useful sonographic reference of unilateral rotator cuff lesions.
Level of evidence
Diagnostic level III.
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This retrospective study was approved by the Ethics Committee and institutional review board of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (97-1302B).
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Hsu, JC., Chen, PH., Huang, KC. et al. Efficiency of quantitative echogenicity for investigating supraspinatus tendinopathy by the gray-level histogram of two ultrasound devices. J Med Ultrasonics 44, 297–303 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-017-0777-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-017-0777-6