title: Why do patients with fibromyalgia complain of ear-related symptoms? Ear-related symptoms and otological findings in patients with fibromyalgia.
abstract: While fibromyalgia is frequently associated with ear-related symptoms such as feeling of ear fullness, earache, and tinnitus, the pathogenesis of these ear-related symptoms in fibromyalgia patients is unknown. Here, we focused on clarifying the pathogenesis of ear fullness, a particularly common symptom observed in fibromyalgia patients. Twenty patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia on outpatient psychosomatic treatment complaining of ear-related symptoms answered our questionnaire and underwent neurotological examination, including pure tone audiometry and Eustachian tube function testing. While ear-related symptoms were significantly exacerbated after onset of fibromyalgia, we noted no correlation between the presence or absence of feeling of ear fullness and abnormal findings on neurotological examination. Given our findings, we suspect that onset of ear fullness may be associated not with abnormal findings in the middle and inner ear function tests but with other causes, such as central desensitization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1, Oyaguchi-kamicho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Fusako
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iikuni
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Fumiyuki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Shuntaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shigihara
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods*; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D004433:Earache / Q000150:complications; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000150:complications; D055815:Young Adult