Is fibromyalgia a discrete entity?

Fibromyalgia (FM) is defined as chronic widespread pain (CWP) with allodynia or hyperalgesia to pressure pain, and is classified as one of the largest group of soft tissue pain syndromes. Its pathogenesis is not entirely understood, although it is currently believed to be the result of a central nervous system (CNS) malfunction that increases pain transmission and perception. There are no instrumental tests to confirm the diagnosis, but many of the differential diagnoses can be excluded by means of an extensive clinical examination and patient history. Although fibromyalgia is a recognisable clinical entity, it would seem appropriate to consider the entire range of tenderness and distress in clinic patients in order to tailor treatment on an individual basis.