Lymphatic Visualization during Hip Arthrography

Abstract

Lymphatic visualization at arthrography has been reported previously in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The authors describe this phenomenon in 4 patients undergoing arthrography of the hip following prosthetic surgery, only one of whom had a history of rheumatoid arthritis. It is suggested that lymphatic visualization is not a reliable indicator of any specific type of arthritis, but rather an ancillary sign of inflammation, and that it may occur whenever lymphatic hyperplasia or increased synovial membrane permeability is present.