Acute Calcific Tendinitis of the Subscapularis Tendon: A Rare Case Diagnosed by Ultrasound Imaging and Treated Successfully?

Calcific tendinitis is characterised by calcium deposits in the rotator cuff tendon. Most commonly involves the supraspinatus tendon, followed by infraspinatus, teres minor, and rarely in subscapularis. Leading a painful shoulder dysfunction and its exact etiology is still unknown. Depending on the biologic stage of the disease, conservative management (NSAIDs , physiotherapy, ultrasound guided needling, iontophoresis and ESWT) or surgical removing are choosen. We report a 44-year-old man with calcific tendinitis of left subscapularis tendon diagnosed by ultrasound imaging and treated with corticosteroid injection followed by a physical therapy course. He had progressive improvement of pain 2 weeks after injection. At week 6, the patient was pain-free and had partial resolution of calcific tendinitis. He regained full range of motion and resumed all his daily living activities.

Keywords:Calcific tendinitis; Calcinosis; Shoulder pain; Shoulder joint; Subscapularis tendon; Tendinopathy