RESUMEN
Objective:To evaluate the sternocleidomastoid muscle hardness in patients with tension-type headache (TTH) by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), and to explore its clinical value in evaluating TTH.Methods:Thirty-five patients with TTH admitted to our hospital from March 2019 to March 2020 and 35 subjects accepted physical examination at the same time period were enrolled in this study. The thicknesses of sternocleidomastoid muscles were measured by two-dimensional ultrasound. On this basis, shear wave velocity (SWV) of sternocleidomastoid muscles was quantitatively evaluated by ARFI. The correlation between thicknesses of sternocleidomastoid muscles and headache was further analyzed.Results:The thickness of sternocleidomastoid muscles, SWV in transverse and longitudinal sections, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores in patients with TTH during headache and after massage were significantly higher than those in the heathy subjects ( P<0.05). Meanwhile, SWV in transverse and longitudinal sections, VAS scores decreased significantly in TTH after massage, which showed significant difference as compared with those during headache ( P<0.05). During headache, the thickness of sternocleidomastoid muscles was negatively correlated with VAS scores ( r=-0.397, P=0.002), SWV in longitudinal section of sternocleidomastoid muscles was positively correlated with VAS scores ( r=0.643, P=0.000). Conclusions:The thickness and hardness of sternocleidomastoid muscle are closely related with TTH. ARFI can quantitatively evaluate the thickness and hardness of sternocleidomastoid muscle.