Mark A Stieler, Sonographer-in-charge, Clarke and Robertson Radiology, St Andrews Hospital, Ipswich Qld and Centre for Medical and Health Physics, QUT, Brisbane Qld

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to correlate the presence of shoulder fluid collections with patient symptoms and other sonographic findings. Fluid collections in the subacromial-subdeltoid bursa were almost exclusively seen in symptomatic shoulder suggesting they are a pathological finding. In contrast, small fluid collections in the biceps sheath were commonly seen in asymptomatic shoulders suggesting that these small effusions may be a normal finding. Larger biceps effusions were nearly always associated with symptoms. Shoulders in which other pathology was demonstrable ultrasonically had a high incidence of biceps sheath and subacromial-subdeltoid bursa effusions, suggesting these effusions are useful markers for the presence of other pathology. Rotator cuff tears were encountered with equal frequency in symptomatic and asymptomatic shoulders but rotator cuff calcification was nearly always symptomatic.

Bulletin