Evaluation of chronic orofacial pain and its relationship to the microvascular facial response in women with fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND

Recent investigations suggest that central nervous system dysfunction and changes in peripheral blood microcirculation may explain the symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the presence of chronic orofacial pain (COP) and assess facial skin microcirculation through surface temperature in women with FMS and healthy controls and to examine the relationship between peripheral facial skin temperature and oral symptomatology in FMS.

DESIGN AND METHODS

An observational case-control study was conducted with 46 women with FMS and 44 healthy women. Infrared thermography was used to assess peripheral facial skin temperature, and facial pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), mouth opening measurement, the Craniofacial Pain and Disability Inventory (CF-PDI), and the Orofacial Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were used to assess COP.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found in orofacial-VAS (p ≤ 0.001), orofacial-PPTs (p ≤ 0.001), mouth opening (p = 0.003), and CF-PDI (p ≤ 0.001) between women with FMS and controls. No significant differences were identified in peripheral facial skin temperature between cases and controls, but significant associations were observed between facial thermography and oral symptomatology.

CONCLUSION

Women with FMS exhibited greater orofacial pain and worse orofacial quality of life than healthy women, with associations between facial temperature and oral symptoms. Key Points • Women with fibromyalgia syndrome present chronic orofacial pain. • Mouth opening limitation and lower orofacial pressure pain threshold are observed. • The presence of orofacial pain has a negative impact on quality of life. • An association between facial thermography and oral pain symptoms is observed.