Evaluation of Fibromyalgia Frequency in Chronic Urticaria Patients and Its Association with Urticaria Severity

Abstract

Purpose: Chronic urticaria is a skin disease with unknown etiology. Autoimmunity and psychogenic factors have been suggested to play a role in pathogenesis. Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disease that may be associated with psychogenic factors. The aim of the study was to determine the frequency and severity of fibromyalgia and the effect of fibromyalgia coexistence on clinical features and dermatology life quality index in urticaria patients. Materials and Methods: One hundred patients with chronic urticaria and no history of any systemic disease and 100 age and sexmatched healthy controls were included. Urticaria severity was evaluated by the dermatology life quality index (DLQI). Clinical severity and disability status were evaluated by the visual analog scale (VAS) and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ). Results: The mean age of the chronic urticaria patient group was 37.7±1.32, and that was 40.7±11.2 in the control group (p=0.09). Fibromyalgia frequency (45%) in the chronic urticaria group was significantly higher than in the control group (13%) (p=0.00). The duration of chronic urticaria was significantly higher in the patients with FMS than in the patients without FMS (p=0.001). There was a statistically significant correlation between FIQ and DLQI (p=0.019). No significant differences in terms of FMS durations, VAS, and FIQ values were detected between groups (p=0.432, p=0.201, p=0.332). Conclusion: High frequency of fibromyalgia in chronic urticaria patients was found. This may be related to the chronic effect of neuromediators involved in chronic urticaria pathogenesis.

Keywords

• chronic urticaria
• fibromiyalgia
• neurogenic inflammation
• pruritus
• quality of life