A preliminary study of the child abuse and central sensitization in adolescent patients with chronic non-organic chest pain and an overlooked condition: Juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome

Background: Only a small percentage of pediatric chest pain is of cardiac origin and the most common detected cause is musculoskeletal. Among musculoskeletal causes, acute chest pain is better described, with the causes of chronic pain not being adequately investigated in the literature. The aim of studuy is to evaluate the musculoskeletal causes of non-cardiac chest pain and investigate the relationship of chest pain with child abuse and central sensitization. Methods: Patients aged 12 to 18 years presenting with chest pain for at least 3 months were evaluated by a pediatric cardiologist and those without an organic pathology were referred to the physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic. In addition to detailed history and physical examination, juvenile fibromyalgia was questioned according to the 2016 revised diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. The visual analog scale (to measure intensity of chest pain), the Central Sensitization Inventory (to evaluate the presence of central sensitization), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (to determine depression and anxiety), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (to assess the presence of child abuse) were administered. Results: The study was completed with 64 patients. Twenty-six percent of patient (n = 17) were diagnosed with juvenile fibromyalgia, and central sensitization was detected in 34.4% (n = 22). Pain intensity, anxiety, depression and abuse scores were higher in patients with juvenile fibromyalgia than those without juvenile fibromyalgia and in patients with central sensitization compared to those without central sensitization (p < 0.001 for both). Higher scores of pain were related with child abuse [beta = 0.763, p < 0.001, (%95 CI, 4.397; 8.841)] and central sensitization of pain [beta = 0.382, p = 0.008 (95% CI: (0.986;6.231)] in regression analyses. Conclusion: In this study, juvenile fibromyalgia was detected as a cause of non-cardiac chest pain. Juvenile fibromyalgia or central sensitization may also indicate childhood abuse.