A general population study of fibromyalgia tender points in noninstitutionalized adults with chronic widespread pain

Objective. To assess the distribution and predictive ability of fibromyalgi a (FM) tender points (TP) in adults with chronic widespread pain. Methods. Using published classification criteria, we confirmed 100 FM cases and 76 controls with widespread pain not meeting the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for FM (pain controls) in a survey of 3395 adults screened for widespread musculoskeletal pain in a gen eral population survey. Results. At each of the 18 FM tender points. FM cases were more likely than pain controls to have tenderness, and the likelihood ratio (LR) was statis tically greater than 1.0 for 13 of 18 points. However, the LR for individua l points ranged from 4.0 to as low as 1.2. Females were more likely to have TP, especially at lower body points; however, lower body points were more discriminatory in males. Conclusion. TP differ in their ability to predict FM among adults in the ge neral population with chronic widespread pain.