Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine visual function and eye symptoms in fibromyalgia patients, with a particular focus on dry eye syndrome and eye pain.
Methods: A tertiary care center-based cross-sectional study was carried out in chronic musculoskeletal pain patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Chronic musculoskeletal pain patients without fibromyalgia were enrolled as a comparison group. Self-reported eye pain was investigated with the McGill pain questionnaire and the numeric rating scale. In addition, we assessed corrected visual acuity, vision-related quality of life, and self-reported dry eye syndrome.
Results: A total of 90 musculoskeletal pain patients were included, with 66 patients fulfilling American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for fibromyalgia. Sixty-seven percent (95% confidence interval [CI] = 56%-78%) of the fibromyalgia patients reported eye pain, and 62% (95% CI = 43%-81%) of those were without fibromyalgia diagnosis. Sixty-seven percent (95% CI = 56%-78%) of the fibromyalgia patients reported an experience of dry eye compared with 76% (95% CI = 57%-95%) in the nonfibromyalgia group. Vision-related quality of life was noticeably reduced in both groups.
Conclusions: Eye pain and dry eye are common in chronic pain patients, with comparable prevalence in musculoskeletal pain patients with and without fibromyalgia.