Session Information
Title: Fibromyalgia, Soft Tissue Disorders, Regional and Specific Clinical Pain Syndromes: Clinical Focus
Session Type: Abstract Submissions (ACR)
Background/Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between tender point examination and disease severity in patients with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia according to the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria.
Methods: Sixty three consecutive female patients, with a mean age of 43.8±10.5 years, were included to the study. Digital palpation of tender points was performed by the same physician (OO), after then total tender point count (TPC) and myalgic score (rated as 0=no pain, 1=mild pain, 2=a verbal exclamation of pain, 3=withdrawal or flinching) were calculated. In order to assess the disease severity, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was used.
Results: The median duration of symptoms was 3.0 years (range, 0.5-20). The mean of total TPC and myalgic score were 14.7±2.5 and 25.3±8.0, respectively. The mean of FIQ total score was found to be 63,2±15.9. Both TPC and myalgic score do not correlate with the patients’ age and symptom duration. We have found no statistically significant correlation between total TPC and FIQ (p=0.070). However, there was a positive correlation between total myalgic score and FIQ (p=0.035, r=0,267).
Conclusion: As an indicator of disease severity, calculating the total myalgic score appears to be more informative than the TPC in female patients with fibromyalgia.
Disclosure:
O. Ozdemir,
None;
F. Dincer,
None.
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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/the-relationship-between-tender-points-and-disease-severity-in-patients-with-fibromyalgia/