The aim of the study was to assess the clinical similarities and common features of fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) and premenstrual dysphoric syndrome (PMDD). Thirty young patients who met the diagnostic criteria for PMDD were included in the study and compared to 26 women belonging to the medical staff of a general psychiatry department. All enrollees were interviewed and examined by a skilled physician. They completed the following nine survey items: demographic information, clinical health assessment questionnaire, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire, sleep and fatigue questionnaires, Sheehan disability scales, SF-36 assessment for quality of life, visual analog scale for pain, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) questionnaire (assessment of coexistent psychiatric conditions), and the premenstrual severity scale. Additionally, each individual underwent a physical examination measuring the classical tender points and was asked to describe the distribution and continuum of her pain or tenderness. The PMDD group scored significantly higher in the measures pain and tenderness as well as in severity of premenstrual symptoms compared to the control group. Five patients in the PMDD group and none in the control group had FM. Quality of life measured by the SF-36 was higher in the control group than in the PMDD group and correlated with the degree of tenderness reported. Psychiatric comorbidity was significantly more common in the PMDD group, affecting 16 of the 30 PMDD patients compared to only three of the 26 control patients. In this study, patients with PMDD were found to have higher levels of tenderness, higher psychiatric comorbidity, greater level of physical disabilities, and a lower quality of life. These parameters were highly correlated with a lower pain threshold.

Background:Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is associated with depressive disorders.Aim:to investigate characteristics of FMS in a cohort of young women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Methods:30 young patients with PMS were included and compared with 26 women who attended a gynecological outpatient clinic. Assessment included demographics, clinical health assessment questionnaire (CLINHAQ), fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), sleep and fatigue questionnaires, Sheehan disability scales, SF-36 assessment for QoL, visual analogue scale (VAS) and MINI questionnaires were completed. Each patient underwent a physical examination.Results:The FIQ score of the PMS group was 33.09±18.48 vs. 8.6±12.62 (p<0.001).. The global pain scale was 3.92±2.96 vs. 1.29±2.2 (p<0.005). A sleep questionnaire scored in the PMS group compared to 12.6±7.8 vs. 7.46±5.3 (p<0.01) in the controls. The tenderness was measured by the number of tender point as defined in the ACR criteria of the FMS 3.13±4.36 v. 0.46±1.1 in the PMS groups compared to the controls (p<0.005), five PMS patients and none in the controls had clinical established FMS. Psychiatric comorbidity was significantly more common in the PMS group affecting 16 of the 30 PMS patients compared to only 3 of the 26 controls (χ2(1)=10.85) (p<0.005).Conclusion:In this study group of patients PMS we detected higher levels of tenderness, higher psychiatric comorbidity, higher disabilities and lower QoL. All of these correlated with have a lower pain threshold.