Fibromyalgia syndrome in men

Objective: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is uncommon in men and data on its c haracteristics and severity are limited, The current study was undertaken t o determine whether the clinical characteristics and the spectrum of this d isorder are similar in men and women. Methods: Forty men with FMS were matched with 40 women by age and education al level. All subjects were asked about the presence and severity (assessed by Visual analog scale) of FMS symptoms; a count of 18 tender points was c onducted by thumb palpation, and tenderness thresholds were measured by dol orimetry. psychological status was assessed by the anxiety and depression s ubscales of the revised Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales. Quality of lif e was evaluated by two scales, QOL-16 and SF-36, and physical function was measured by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Results: Men with FMS reported more severe symptoms than women, decreased p hysical function, and lower quality of life. Women had lower tender thresho lds than men; however their mean point counts were similar, Conclusion: Although FMS is uncommon in men, its health outcome in our stud y population was worse than in women. Further studies in larger samples and in diverse ethnocultural populations are needed to confirm this observatio n. Copyright (C) 2000 by W,B, Saunders Company.