[Ultrasonographic diagnosis in inflammatory-rheumatic changes of the shoulder joint]

Inflammatory rheumatoid changes of the shoulder joint are often diagnosed rather late, so therapy is largely directed towards pain reduction and less towards maintenance of full joint function. When considering the mutilating type of chronic polyarthritis, it becomes evident how important the role of the shoulder joint is in the patients performance of basic everyday activities. In this paper the important structures of the shoulder joint that can be visualized by ultrasound are described as to their rheumatological significance, and pathological findings are discussed along with the appropriate therapy.