Intersection Syndrome Diagnosis and Prevalence

Comparison to Other Wrist Pain Causes

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) has a much higher prevalence than intersection syndrome, and is frequently evaluated with ultrasound or MRI, according to the American College of Radiology guidelines 1
Tendinopathies and tenosynovitis of other compartments are more commonly diagnosed in patients with chronic wrist pain, as noted by the Journal of the American College of Radiology 2
The American College of Radiology guidelines recognize intersection syndrome as one of several tendon abnormalities that can be diagnosed with MRI or ultrasound, but it is mentioned less prominently than more common conditions 3, 2

Ultrasound is well-suited for evaluating tendon injuries due to the superficial location and ability to dynamically assess the tendons, as stated by the Journal of the American College of Radiology 4
MRI without IV contrast can effectively diagnose intersection syndrome along with other tendon abnormalities, according to the Journal of the American College of Radiology 2, 4
The American College of Radiology recommends either ultrasound or MRI without IV contrast as appropriate next imaging studies when tendon pathology is suspected after normal radiographs 5