After ultrasound

[Goodwin69]

Hi everyone, sorry on here to bother yous again😁 so went for my ultrasound on my elbow today , he said he was checking to see inflammation which there was a lot of but he also said I had tennis elbow , so now I’m thinking this will slow my rheumatologist appointment even more now as my GP might think it has been this all along , although I still feel ill and ankles killing me could it just be a coincidence xx

[Brychni]

Do you know what kind of ultrasound you had? My Inflammatory Arthritis diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound on my wrists and hands. I was mystified at the time as I have never had an issue with my wrists or hands.

So I did A LOT of reading. To see inflammation it has to be a certain type of ultrasound imaging although I can't remember what it's called - mine was carried out by a specialist not a sonographer and actually I felt really silly as I thought they had made a mistake.

Anyway, as I understand it they look at the wrists as it is easy to see it there even if there is only a little bit of inflammation I suppose because it so sinewy in that part of the body and easy to access.

Literally months later I got a panicky letter saying inflammation was found and I was recalled back to rheumatology and told the news and put on hydroxyc.

When I questioned on here why everyone isn't scanned it was pointed out that blood tests are cheaper. I think I was lucky to have been scanned so early on in my 'journey'.

I have since asked rheuatology, when being prescribed ever stronger meds, if I shouldn't have more blood tests but have been told NO as the scan is the ultimate diagnositc tool.

My blood tests so far have been negative for rheumatoid factor but they explained early on that may not always be the case if the disease is not brought under control, or it could mean that it might be psoriatic arthritis which is almost identical in progression, outcomes and with treatment - in other words it doesn't matter what kind of arthritis, the inflammation is there and that's tha

I get pain in both elbows too although it is predominantly in the right and unless you have had some sort of injury to an elbow it is unlikely that osteoarthritis is the culprit, more likely RA.

Hopefully the scan will give you some answers. Good luck.

[Goodwin69 in reply to Brychni]

Hi thankyou for replying, sorry I’m not sure what kind of ultrasound it was , it’s funny because he said you are more likely to get better results for R.A. from my bloods , anyway I suppose all my results in front of the rhymatologist will hopefully make sense , and yea it’s both my elbows too especially the right one where he said I had tennis elbow 😗

[Brychni in reply to Goodwin69]

He's right about the bloods but only if they are detectable and often they're not especially early on or if it is PsA. Here is a link about the different types of ultrasound scan. I had to go to a different hospital for mine and it was done by a consultant or specialist, she wasn't wearing a uniform and worked alone.

advancesinrheumatology.biom....

[Gilliancheche in reply to Brychni]

I had so many blood tests, all negative over a couple of years. Eventually someone sent me for ultrasound and hey presto! A diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis

[Brychni in reply to Gilliancheche]

Yes - I think, thankfully, that I skipped the 'years of blood tests part' and went straight to scan. As I said, I reckon that was a bit of luck or perhaps my persistence!

[oldtimer]

It sounds to me as if it needs interpretation by a rheumatologist!

The sooner the better, too.

Both would cause inflammation in that area, but might affect different parts.

[Goodwin69 in reply to oldtimer]

Hi, yea I mean I get that the right elbow may be worse due to this but what about my feet 🦶 there driving me mad , I just feel when the GP gets the report back he won’t try and hurry the appointment along if that makes sense 😪