Background Fibromyalgia (FM) is a rheumatic disease characterized by diffuse, chronic musculoskeletal pain, of non-articular origin, which is evidenced by the palpation of painful points in specific anatomical areas and is usually accompanied by non-repairing sleep, Tiredness, morning stiffness, cognitive alterations, among others.

FM affects approximately 0.5 -5% of the population, having a maximum prevalence between 40 and 50 years. No racial or socioeconomic predisposition has been determined to date.

Sicca syndrome whose term encompasses xerophthalmia, xerostomia, xeroderma and xerovagina, has been described in patients with FM. Xerostomia is the sensation of dry mouth due to lack or decrease of saliva. There are no clinical studies that determine the prevalence of xerostomia in patients with FM and on the other hand the reduction of salivary flow in these patients has not been studied with objective tests.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determinate the frecuency of xerostomia in patients with diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and describe their clinical and epidemiologic characteristics.

Methods Patients were included according 1990 and 2010 ACR Classification criteria. Patients taking drugs that cause xerostomia were excluded as well as the ones presenting other rheumatologic diseases. Xerostomia was assessed by interrogation and physical examination, and a sialometry was performed in order to determinate the decrease of salival flow. A sialometry was positive if the saliva flow was under 1.5 ml in 15 minutes. In case of presenting positive sialometry patients were studied to rule out Sjogren Syndrome with laboratory and minor salivary gland biopsy.

Results 50 patients were recruited during the study. The 100% of them were women. The mean age was 47 years old (DS+-8.5), while the mean time of evolution of FM was 6 years. 29 patients reported xerostomia of which 4 presented positive sialometry. No positive sialometry was found in the group that did not referred xerostomia. Smoking was more prevalent in patients with FM who did not report xerostomia with respect of those who reported xerostomia (31.8% vs 6.9%, p 0.02). There were not associations between xerostomia and hypothyroidism, diabetes or menopause. The presence of Sjogren Syndrome was rule out in those 4 patients whose sialometry was positive.

Conclusions The prevalente of xerostomía was 51%. No statistically significant associations were found in patients who reported xerostomia. A decrease in objective salivary flow was not demonstrated in patients with FM.

References

1. The fibromyalgia impact questionnaire: development and validation” Burckhardt CS; “ Validaciόn de la versiόn española del Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire” S. Monterdea.

2. “ The American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia and Measurement of Symptom Severity”.

3. “ The American College of Rheumatology 1990 Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia. Report of the Multicenter Criteria Committee.

References

Disclosure of Interest None declared