1. Echogenicity of Dupuytren's nodules is correlated to myofibroblast load and nodule hardness
- Author
-
Paul M N Werker, Whangzao Song, Sanne Molenkamp, Dieuwke C Broekstra, Marjolein Bloembergen, Restoring Organ Function by Means of Regenerative Medicine (REGENERATE), and Life Course Epidemiology (LCE)
- Subjects
Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,myofibroblasts ,Negative association ,DISEASE ,Hardness ,Dupuytren's contracture ,Humans ,Medicine ,tonometry ,business.industry ,Histopathological analysis ,Ultrasound ,Echogenicity ,Nodule (medicine) ,ultrasonography ,medicine.disease ,PREVALENCE ,Dupuytren Contracture ,CONTRACTURE ,Surgery ,medicine.symptom ,Ultrasonography ,business ,Myofibroblast - Abstract
This study aimed to determine the association between the echogenicity of Dupuytren’s disease nodules and myofibroblast load, and between echogenicity and nodule hardness. Thirty-eight nodules were assessed sonographically. The echogenicity of nodules was measured objectively with Image J (grey-value) and subjectively by visual inspection (hypo-, mixed and hyper-echogenicity). These findings were compared with myofibroblast load measured by histopathological analysis. In a different cohort, 97 nodules were assessed for grey-value and nodule hardness using a tonometer. There was a moderate, significant, negative association between grey-value and myofibroblast load and the subjective visual measurements corresponded to this finding. There was also a moderate, significant, negative association between grey-value and nodule hardness. Ultrasound and tonometry may be useful in the selection of patients for possible future preventive treatments.
- Published
- 2022