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The following is a summary of “Structural changes in the upper trapezius muscle of fibromyalgia patients identified by quantitative ultrasonography: a cross-sectional study,” published in the April 2025 issue of Rheumatology International by Meral et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess muscle changes in fibromyalgia (FM) using ultrasound and blob analysis. The lack of consistent imaging markers and symptom variability has hindered standardized diagnosis. 

They conducted a cross-sectional study with 34 female patients with FM and 34 healthy controls. B-mode ultrasonography was used to image the dominant-side upper trapezius and performed MATLAB-based blob analysis to assess blob size, blob count, and echointensity, correlating results with central sensitization inventory (CSI), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), and beck depression and anxiety inventories (BDI, BAI) scores. 

The results showed patients with FM had significantly higher total blob size (P < 0.001) and blob size per mm² (P < 0.001) compared to controls. Echointensity was also significantly increased in the FM group (P = 0.009). Total blob size showed a moderate positive correlation with CSI scores (P = 0.002), and regression analysis identified pain-VAS as a significant predictor of blob size per mm² (P < 0.001). 

Investigators demonstrated quantifiable muscle alterations in FM using blob analysis, supporting its role as an objective assessment tool. They found that muscle echotexture correlated with FM severity, suggesting the value of quantitative ultrasonography in understanding FM pathophysiology. 

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00296-025-05871-x