Assessment of Neovascularization in de Quervain's Disease With Superb Microvascular Imaging.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the first extensor compartment tenosynovitis of the wrist using the novel superb microvascular imaging (SMI) technique, which can accurately detect small vessels and slow-flow blood signals.

METHODS

Twenty-eight patients diagnosed with de Quervain's disease between January 2022 and August 2022 (71.4% female, median age 40.5 [interquartile range: 28-50] years), and 14 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (71.4% female, mean ± standard deviation age 39.4 ± 8.2 years) were included. B-mode and SMI evaluations were performed sonographically on the tendons of the first extensor compartment.

RESULTS

The tendon area was higher in the symptomatic group compared to the control group (24.5 [interquartile range: 22.25-40] mm2 vs. 18.5 ± 5.7 mm2, p < 0.001, respectively). The vascular index (VI) (%) was measured higher in the symptomatic group compared to the asymptomatic group (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 0 [range, 0-0.8], p < 0.001, respectively). A strong positive correlation was found between the visual analog scale score and the VI (rho = 0.731, p < 0.001). The VI showed 89% specificity and 75% sensitivity in distinguishing de Quervain's disease according to receiver operating characteristics analysis (area under the curve: 0.862, 95% confidence interval: 0.756-0.967). Interobserver agreement in VI measurement was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.880, 95% confidence interval: 0.741-0.945).

CONCLUSION

SMI for the detection of neovascularization and quantitative VI measurement may serve as a novel potential diagnostic tool in the clinical assessment of de Quervain's disease.