Hospital For Special Surgery: Ultrasound of the Month - Case 27

Clinical History •

64 year old female presented to outside emergency room with new onset of painful swelling of the left elbow.

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History of rheumatoid arthritis

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Physical exam demonstrated soft tissue swelling at the level of the olecranon bursa

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Aspiration of elbow in emergency room yielded scant bloody materialcultures negative for infection

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Pain and swelling continued and patient presented to her rheumatologist for further evaluation

Ultrasound of the Month – Case 27

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Ultrasound of the Month – Case 27

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Ultrasound of the Month – Case 27

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Ultrasound of the Month – Case 27

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Diagnosis: Infected Olecranon Bursitis

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Olecranon bursitis is an often painful inflammation of the olecranon bursa, an adventitial bursa at the posterior elbow

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Bursitis is most common in inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout and may also be associated with trauma

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Infection of the olecranon bursa is relatively rare but an increased risk is present in patients receiving medications resulting in immunosuppression

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Ultrasound is important in identifying and targeting any fluid collections for aspiration to definitively rule out infection

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Ultrasound of the Month – Case 27

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