FIBROMYALGIA IN FAMILIAL MEDITERRANEAN FEVER

Objective. To determine whether chronic lower body pain in a subpopula tion of patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is due direct ly to the musculoskeletal manifestations of FMF or whether they are co nnected to mechanical problems in the low back and leg/foot or to othe r factors operative in fibromyalgia(FM). Methods. In 93 consecutive pa tients with FMF a point count of 14 tender points (TP) was conducted b y thumb palpation. Tenderness thresholds were assessed in some of the TP and of control point sites by Chatillon dolorimeter. Results. In fe male patients with FMF dolorimeter thresholds of fibrositic and contro l point sites were significantly lower than in male patients with FMF (p < 0.004). Also patients with FMF with back pain and foot/leg pain a re more tender than patients with FMF without this characteristic (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The detection of FM and definition of tenderness thresholds is relevant to this disease, since musculoskeletal complain ts are common in this group of patients but not always explained by ob jective findings.