Is ultrasound of bone relevant for corticosteroid-treated patients? A comparative study with bone densitometry measured by DEXA.

Corticosteroid treatment diminishes bone mass and alters bone quality. The objective was to evaluate bone in corticosteroid-treated patients and controls and in fractured and non-fractured patients treated with corticosteroids using both X-ray densitometry (DEXA) and ultrasound. We evaluated 34 women aged 58 +/- 14 years (X +/- SD), who had been on long-term low dose prednisone therapy for at least 6 months, and who had never received specific treatment for osteoporosis.