2010 American College of Rheumatology Adult Fibromyalgia Criteria for Use in an Adolescent Female Population with Juvenile Fibromyalgia

Abstract

To evaluate the utility of the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) adult fibromyalgia criteria for use in adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM). Participants included 47 adolescent girls diagnosed with JFM (mean age = 15.3 years) and 48 age- and sex-matched adolescents (mean age = 15.0 years) with localized chronic pain (eg, headaches or abdominal pain). A trained examiner administered the Widespread Pain Index and Symptom Severity measures and also completed a manual tender point exam. Clinicians completed a form indicating the presence of active JFM per Yunus and Masi (1985) criteria, the only available and most commonly used measure for JFM. Criterion validity analysis was performed as well as t tests comparing symptoms between JFM and controls. With the Yunus and Masi criteria used as the gold standard, the 2010 ACR fibromyalgia criteria showed a sensitivity of 89.4% and specificity of 87.5%. The 2010 ACR measure appears to be a valuable tool for the identification of JFM. However, a slight modification to the 2010 ACR measure and inclusion of a clinical exam is recommended.