One of the most common causes of chronic shoulder pain that significantly impairs patients' quality of life is rotator cuff calcific tendinitis. The supportive approach of analgesics, anti-inflammatory medications, and physiotherapy is preferred to treat mild symptoms. However, severe intractable symptoms necessitate alternative treatment, and ultrasonography-guided percutaneous barbotage is regarded as an effective treatment technique due to its minimal invasiveness, low cost, and rapid significant pain relief. Post-barbotage complications are reported as acute calcific bursitis along with infection, bleeding, and tendon rupture. In our case, a 41-year-old female presented with a substantial amount of pain shortly after barbotage, which was diagnosed as acute calcific bursitis, a complication of the procedure. Subacromial-subdeltoid steroid injection was used successfully to treat this condition.
Keywords: barbotage; calcific bursitis; calcific tendinitis; calcific tendinopathy; rotator cuff; ultrasonography-guided percutaneous treatment.
Copyright Journal of Radiology Case Reports.