Other pain syndromes to be differentiated from fibromyalgia

Several common chronic pain syndromes come to the attention of the rheumatologist demanding for differentiation from fibromyalgia (FM), although they are often associated with it. They may mimic FM by (1) the occurrence of wide spread pain, (2) the chronicity of complaints, (3) the preponderance of females in some of these, and (4) the lack of objective data to be derived from imaging techniques and laboratory tests. Pain is produced by the disturbance of normal function ("dysfunctional syndromes", MASI, ref. 6). Recognition requires examination of the locomotor system under biomechanical auspices both at rest and during movement in order to diagnose hyper- and hypomobility syndromes; treatment of these conditions is guided by principles to improve biomechanical function. In addition, the skin needs to be examined to detect panniculosis (also called "cellulitis"), which may be mixed up with FM due to its preferential occurrence in peri- or postmenopausal women. It is concluded that the aforementioned differential diagnosis needs to be considered appropriately in coinciding FM and all studies dealing with FM.