Pain in autoimmune inflammatory myopathies: a scoping review

Pain is considered a priority for research by adult patients with autoimmune inflammatory myopathy (AIM) and their families. Our aim was to review the literature for studies reporting on pain in adult AIM and to summarise their findings.

A scoping review was conducted searching for studies in PubMed and MEDLINE including more than five adult patients with AIM and assessing pain using a patient-reported outcome measure. Study population characteristics, pain measurement and clinical correlates of pain were extracted using a standardised protocol.

The search strategy identified 2831 studies with 33 meeting inclusion criteria. Most studies used visual analogue scales (n=14) and/or the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Bodily Pain Scale (n=17). Frequency of pain and/or myalgias ranged from 64% to 100%. Subjects with AIM had significantly more pain than the general population and comparable pain to other chronic rheumatic diseases. Insufficient results were available to identify significant clinical correlates of pain in AIM.

This review suggests that the burden of pain in AIM is considerable. Still, due to the heterogeneity and low quality of the evidence, significant knowledge gaps persist. Studies are needed to characterise pain trajectories of patients with AIM.