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Sonographic assessment of musculoskeletal causes of calf pain and swelling

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Abstract

Calf pain or swelling is a common presentation to the emergency department. The differential diagnoses are wide. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is often the first diagnosis to be excluded given its potentially fatal complications. Musculoskeletal causes of calf pain or swelling such as Baker’s cyst, muscle or tendon tear, soft tissue infection, and inflammation are not uncommon and can often be confidently diagnosed with ultrasonography (US). Familiarity with these conditions and the sonographic findings would be useful in making timely and correct diagnosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, Singapore, 768828, Republic of Singapore

    Kheng Song Leow & Ashish Chawla

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Woodlands Health Campus, 2 Yishun Central 2, Tower E, Level 5, Singapore, 768024, Republic of Singapore

    Kian Ming Chew & Tze Chwan Lim

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  1. Kheng Song Leow
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Correspondence to Kheng Song Leow.

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Leow, K.S., Chew, K.M., Chawla, A. et al. Sonographic assessment of musculoskeletal causes of calf pain and swelling. Emerg Radiol 26, 349–359 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-019-01680-5

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