Ultrasound in Sports and Occupational Dermatology

Abstract

Chronic exposure to trauma, friction, or extreme conditions can generate cutaneous or ungual lesions in sports and certain occupations. Although some of these dermatologic conditions are diagnosed with a naked-eye examination, there are cases in which the provision of the underlying anatomic alterations can be helpful for the diagnosis and management. In comparison with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound has the highest axial resolution, which is critical for the observation of anatomic changes in the skin and nail. We review the ultrasound characteristics of frequent cutaneous and ungual lesions related to sports and occupations with a clinical correlation. The ultrasound features in some particular conditions such as "biker's and surfer's panniculitis," "fiddler's neck," piezogenic papules, and lipoatrophy semicircularis, among others, are discussed.