Spontaneous biceps tendon rupture in a patient with mixed connective tissue disease

Tendon rupture is a rare complication that occurs in patients receiving corticosteroid therapy. We report a case of a middle-aged man with mixed connective tissue disease who presented with spontaneous biceps tendon rupture 5 weeks after initiation of high-dose corticosteroid therapy. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography was performed at the clinic and helped to confirm the diagnosis. It is a new imaging modality that is increasingly used in rheumatology clinics in Malaysia as it serves as an extension to physical examination. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography is preferred by patients as it is noninvasive, does not involve ionising radiation, painless, relatively inexpensive and can be performed readily at the clinic.
KEYWORDS: corticosteroid; musculoskeletal ultrasonography; tendon rupture