INFO - Tired, aching, ANA-positive: Does your patient have lupus or fibromyalgia?

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Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine

February 2002

" Tired, aching, ANA-positive: Does your patient have lupus or

fibromyalgia? "

ABSTRACT

The symptoms of fibromyalgia and lupus can be similar, but

the treatments are very different. Although the antinuclear

antibody (ANA) test has often been used to make the

distinction, this approach has its pitfalls. This paper offers

strategies for more accurate diagnosis.

KEY POINTS

Given that fibromyalgia is common and lupus is not, most

patients with pain will be found to have fibromyalgia or an

alternative pain syndrome.

Positive ANA tests are more prevalent than connective

tissue diseases, and most of the abnormal results are falsely

positive.

The history and physical examination are vital to

establishing the pre-test probability of disease.

Fibromyalgia is not merely a diagnosis of exclusion, and can

be differentiated from lupus by history, physical

examination, and laboratory tests. "

For the entire article, please see:

http://www.ccjm.org/pdffiles/Blumental202.pdf

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