CT of the soft tissues of the shoulder. Pt. 1

CT of the soft tissues of the shoulder without intra-articular contrast injections is useful for demonstrating effusions and synovial proliferation in the shoulder joint, in the bursa and in the synovial coverings of the long head of the biceps. The author describes, for the first time, an intracapsular collection of fat in the posterior aspect of the capsule. This can be demonstrated via CT in 80% of the population. This fat line is displaced by even a few ml of fluid in the presence of an effusion. (orig.)