Preliminary results of a 4-year follow-up study in fibromyalgia

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine the extent to which fibromyalgia patients later on developed somatic diseases which might account for the pain and to examine symptoms some years after the diagnosis of fibromyalgia was established. Methods: A follow-up study of 91 patients registered under a diagnosis of primary fibromyalgia. Results: Only in three of 91 did other somatic diseases, which might account for the pain, develop during the median 4 year follow-up period. Sixty out of 83 attending subjects reported worsened pain, 8 reported improvement of pain, 13 no change in pain. Only 20% of the patients were gainfully employed at the time of follow-up. Conclusions: Other somatic diseases associated with pain rarely developed in our fibromyalgia patients during the follow-up period. © 1993 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.