Open AccessDiagnostic confounders of chronic widespread pain: not always fibromyalgia
Author(s) -
Winfried Häuser,
Serge Perrot,
Claudia Sommer,
Yoram Shir,
MaryAnn Fitzcharles
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
pain reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 15
ISSN - 2471-2531
DOI - 10.1097/pr9.0000000000000598
Subject(s) - fibromyalgia , pathognomonic , confounding , complaint , medicine , medical diagnosis , chronic pain , differential diagnosis , musculoskeletal pain , psychiatry , physical therapy , disease , pathology , political science , law
Although chronic widespread pain is the defining feature of fibromyalgia, a myriad of other conditions may present with similar pain complaint leading to misdiagnosis. Conditions that may mimic fibromyalgia may be categorized as musculoskeletal, neurological, endocrine/metabolic, psychiatric/psychological, and medication related. In this review, we examine these various conditions that should be considered in a differential diagnosis and provide direction that will help the clinician differentiate these conditions from fibromyalgia.