A comparison of visual analog scale and shear-wave ultrasound elastography data in fibromyalgia patients and the normal population

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to compare Visual Analog Scale (VAS) values with the Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) values of rhomboid major muscles in fibromyalgia (FM) patients with those of a normal healthy population. [Participants and Methods] Evaluation was made of 53 female patients diagnosed with FM according to the American Collage of Rheumatology criteria, and a control group of 47 healthy volunteers with a VAS score of 0. All the patients were applied with ultrasonography. The severity of pain was measured using a VAS. [Results] Mean age was calculated as 39 years (range, 23–60 years) in the patient group and 37 years (range, 21–58 years) in the control group. The mean SWE value of the rhomboid major muscle of the patients was 4.74 m/sn and 70.21 kPa on the right side and 4.46 m/sn and 58.78 kPa on the left side. In the control group, these values were 4.18m/sn and 55.03 kPa on the right side and 3.78 m/sn and 44.21 kPa on the left side. The mean VAS score of the patients was 7.3. [Conclusion] The use of SWE values could be more objective than the subjective parameter of the VAS score in the evaluation of the severity of pain in fibromyalgia.