Ultrasonography evaluation of tendon thickness in hemodialysis patients

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate tendon thickness at ultrasonography (US)imaging in long-term dialysis recipients. Methods: Twenty chronicdialysis recipients underwent US examination to evaluate tendonthickening, including that of the supraspinatus, subscapularis, biceps,triceps, quadriceps, patellar and calcaneal tendons with no partial orcomplete lesions. These patients were compared with 22asymptomatic patients and the rejection of null hypothesis was 5%(Student’s t test, p < 0.05 ). Results: Statistically significant thickeningwas found in the supraspinatus, subscapularis, triceps and right bicepstendons. The statistical analysis of the other tendons was notsignificant. Conclusion: Amyloid protein deposition in tendons wasnot uniform; the current study shows a predominance of thisoccurrence in tendons in the upper limbs.Keywords: Tendons/ultrasonography; Renal dialysis; Ultrasonography RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar a espessura dos principais tendoes acessiveis aultra-sonografia em pacientes dialiticos cronicos. Metodos: Vintepacientes em regime de hemodialise foram submetidos a ultra-sonografia para avaliar o espessamento de tendoes, incluindo ostendoes supra-espinhais, subescapulares, cabeca longa do biceps,triceps, quadriceps, patelares e calcâneos, sem lesoes parciais outotais. Estes pacientes foram comparados com 22 pacientes do grupoassintomaticos e submetidos a analise estatistica, fixando-se como5% o nivel de rejeicao de hipotese de nulidade. Resultados:Encontramos espessamento estatisticamente significativo dostendoes supra-espinhais, subescapulares, triceps e do cabo longo dobiceps a direita. A analise estatistica dos demais tendoes nao foisignificativa. Conclusao: As alteracoes determinadas pela proteinaamiloide nao obedeceram a uma distribuicao uniforme nos tendoesestudados, predominando nos tendoes dos membros superiores.Descritores: Tendoes/ultra-sonografia; Dialise renal; Ultra-sonografia