Clinical Characteristics of Chronic Headache Patients With
Fibromyalgia: A Hospital-based Study

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 31(4); 2013 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2013;31(4): 246-249.

섬유근통을 동반한 만성매일두통 환자의 임상 특징: 일개 병원 기반 조사

임희진, 김희진 박소희 송승훈 김한영 김동욱 오지영

건국대학교 의학전문대학원 신경과학교실

Clinical Characteristics of Chronic Headache Patients With Fibromyalgia: A Hospital-based Study

Hee Jin Im

Departments of Neurology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic diffuse pain syndrome of unknown etiology. FM is commonly associated with various neurological symptoms and signs including headache, non-restorative sleep, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical features of chronic daily headache patients with FM comorbidity.
Methods: Outpatients with chronic daily headache were recruited. FM was diagnosed on the basis of 2010 American College of Rheumatology criteria. We analyzed clinical features of the patients with FM and which general somatic symptoms were common in them.
Results: Of the 70 patients with chronic headache, 22 (about 31%) met the new ACR criteria of FM. Most of them were female, and their headache was likely to be tension type. Paresthesia, itching, and heartburn were significantly common in the headache patients with FM.
Conclusions: Our study showed that a significant proportion of female patients with chronic tension type headache had chance to have FM. While taking history from patients with headache, neurologists should concern other somatic symptoms of FM as well as headache itself. Identification of FM in chronic headache patients may help more efficient treatment for the headache. Key Words: Fibromyalgia, Headache, Migraine, Tension-type headache