Ultrasound imaging of embedded shrapnel facilitates diagnosis and management of myofascial pain syndrome. Pain Pract 2013 Jun;13(5):405-8
Date
10/26/2012Pubmed ID
23094652DOI
10.1111/papr.12002Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84878786683 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 10 CitationsAbstract
Trigger points can result from a variety of inciting events including muscle overuse, trauma, mechanical overload, and psychological stress. When the myofascial trigger points occur in cervical musculature, they have been known to cause headaches. Ultrasound imaging is being increasingly used for the diagnosis and interventional management of various painful conditions. A veteran was referred to the pain clinic for management of his severe headache following a gunshot wound to the neck with shrapnel embedded in the neck muscles a few years prior to presentation. He had no other comorbid conditions. Physical examination revealed a taut band in the neck. An ultrasound imaging of the neck over the taut band revealed the deformed shrapnel located within the levator scapulae muscle along with an associated trigger point in the same muscle. Ultrasound guided trigger point injection, followed by physical therapy resolved his symptoms. This is a unique report of embedded shrapnel and coexisting myofascial pain syndrome revealed by ultrasound imaging. The association between shrapnel and myofascial pain syndrome requires further investigation.
Author List
Shankar H, Cummings CAuthors
Craig Elliott Cummings MD Assistant Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of WisconsinHariharan Shankar MBBS Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdultFacial Neuralgia
Humans
Male
Neck Muscles
Physical Examination
Ultrasonography
