Evaluation of chronic orofacial pain and its relationship to the microvascular facial response in women with fbromyalgia

Abstract

Background: Recent investigations suggest that central nervous system dysfunction and changes in peripheral blood microcirculation may explain the symptoms of fbromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Objectives: To analyze the presence of chronic orofacial pain (COP) and assess facial skin microcirculation through surface temperature in women with FMS and healthy controls and to examine the relationship between peripheral facial skin temperature and oral symptomatology in FMS. Design and methods: An observational case–control study was conducted with 46 women with FMS and 44 healthy women. Infrared thermography was used to assess peripheral facial skin temperature, and facial pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), mouth opening measurement, the Craniofacial Pain and Disability Inventory (CF-PDI), and the Orofacial Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were used to assess COP. Results: Signifcant diferences were found in orofacial-VAS (p≤0.001), orofacial-PPTs (p≤0.001), mouth opening (p=0.003), and CF-PDI (p≤0.001) between women with FMS and controls. No signifcant diferences were identifed in peripheral facial skin temperature between cases and controls, but signifcant associations were observed between facial thermography and oral symptomatology. Conclusion: Women with FMS exhibited greater orofacial pain and worse orofacial quality of life than healthy women, with associations between facial temperature and oral symptoms.