Pasteurella multocida tenosynovitis of the hand: sonographic findings.

Pasteurella multocida is a common cause of infection in humans subsequent to bites or scratches by dogs and, particularly, cats. This infection usually results in superficial skin and soft tissue infections. Sonography can be used for diagnosing inflammatory conditions affecting tendons, including acute and chronic tenosynovitis. P. multocida tenosynovitis is rare, and the diagnosis can be missed if adequate tests are not performed. We report 2 cases of P. multocida tenosynovitis of the hand and wrist in which sonography played a valuable role in assessing the affected tissues and guiding fine-needle aspiration of fluid accumulations in the involved tendon sheaths. The diagnosis was confirmed microbiologically in each case.
(Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 31:159-162, 2003)