Epidemiological and clinical profile of fibromyalgia in Congolese patients at the university hospital of Kinshasa: a descriptive hospital-based study

Fibromyalgia is a controversial and often underreported clinical entity in routine medical practice. The present study aimed to describe its epidemiological and clinical profile in patients attending the University Hospital of Kinshasa. This descriptive hospital-based study was carried out in patients attending the rheumatology practice at the University Hospital of Kinshasa from December 2020 to March 2022. The following information was collected: age, sex, painful symptomatology, psychosomatic signs, the circumstances of the disease onset, factors that emphasize or reduce symptoms, the number of previous medical visits and the impact on socio-professional life. The diagnosis of fibromyalgia was defined according to the ACR 2010 criteria. Fibromyalgia was considered severe when it was associated with disability. Standard statistical tests were used to analyze the results. Five hundred and eighty-five (585) patients were selected during the study period. The diagnosis of fibromyalgia was retained in 63 of them, corresponding to a frequency of 10.8%. The sex ratio was 2 in favor of women and the average age was 50.9±12.4 years. The average diagnostic score was 17.6±3.6. Painful manifestations were dominated by arm involvement (84.1%). Fatigue was the most common psychosomatic manifestation (93.7%). Anxiety (41.3%) dominated the basic psychic state of patients and the average of previous medical visits was 5.2±1.6. Fibromyalgia was often triggered by emotional stress (44.4%). Quiet rest (42.9%) was the main calming factor. 60.3% of patients developed the severe form of the disease. Fibromyalgia concerns approximately one of ten patients who attend the rheumatology unit of the University Hospital of Kinshasa. It is more common in females and is associated with numerous psychosomatic signs in addition to the pain symptoms. Special attention must be paid to rheumatologists in order to ensure an adequate diagnostic approach.