Accuracy of shoulder ultrasound examination for diagnosis of rotator cuff pathologies: a single-center retrospective study.

Background: Shoulder pathologies need accurate diagnosis for best management and treatment provided to patients.

Objective: Determine the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of shoulder ultrasonography (US).

Design: Retrospective, analytical.

Setting: Tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Patients And Methods: We included all shoulder exams performed between January 2010 and December 2016 that met the inclusion criteria. Data was collected retrospectively from the a picture archiving and communication system and patient records. The patients were evaluated using US for the presence of rotator cuff tears and classified into intact, full-thickness tear, partial-thickness tear, tendinosis, subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis and acromioclavicular joint degenerative changes. The US findings were correlated with the shoulder MRI study findings. The time interval between the US examination and MRI ranged from 0 to 180 days (6 months).

Main Outcome Measures: To compare the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of shoulder US studies in the detection of rotator cuff pathologies in comparison to MRI findings.

Sample Size And Characteristics: 86 (60 females, 26 male), mean age 53.7 years (range, 19-85).

Results: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of US for the detection of full-thickness supraspinatus tears compared with those of MRI were 86%, 82% and 83%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of US for the detection of partial-thickness supraspinatus tears compared with those of MRI were 38%, 70% and 58%, respectively. Overall PPV, NPV, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of US for the detection of full-thickness tears compared with those of MRI were 35%, 97%, 78%, 83% and 83%, respectively. For partial-thickness tears, the overall PPV, NPV, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of US compared with those of MRI were 51%, 60%, 51%, 60% and 56%, respectively.

Conclusion: Overall, US has high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the detection of full-thickness tears compared with the detection of partial-thickness tears.

Limitations: Small sample size and retrospective.

Conflict Of Interest: None.