Prevalence of tinnitus in juvenile fibromyalgia patients visiting a pediatric rheumatology clinic

Abstract

Juvenile fibromyalgia (JFMS) is a common disorder in the adolescent population with a prevalence of 1–6%. Our study looked at the prevalence of tinnitus in JFMS patients seen at a pediatric rheumatology clinic between 2016 and 2021. The objective of this study was to retrospectively assess prevalence of tinnitus and compare that with prevalence in non- JFMS patients presenting to the clinic. We also assessed prevalence of other sensory and pain symptoms, Widespread pain index >6 and abdominal pain in these two groups.Of the 290 forms evaluated, tinnitus was present in 31.1 % of JFMS subjects, versus only 3.5 % in non-JFMS subjects. There was a significant association between tinnitus and tingling and numbness among subjects with JFM (p = 0.005). On logistic regression analysis, the odds of having JFMS were 5.2 times higher among tinnitus patients compared to non-tinnitus (p = 0.003, 95 % CI 1.77–15.55). Tingling/numbness were also associated with 21.78 times increased odds for diagnosis of JFMS (p = 0.0003, 95 % CI 4.05–117.21). The odds of having JFMS were 22.6 times higher among patients with Widespread Pain Index >6 (p < 0.0001, 95 % CI 7.88–64.71).Tinnitus is a commonly prevalent condition in patients with JFMS. In patients with JFMS, there is a significant association between tinnitus and tingling/numbness. Further studies are needed to explore the underlying pathogenesis of these symptoms.