Fibromyalgia – etiology, diagnosis and treatment including perioperative management in patients with fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is considered a multifactorial disorder/syndrome with not fully understood etiology. Chronic generalized pain is the main symptom. A broad spectrum of factors is proposed to explain the etiology. Its multifactorial nature is inherently associated with challenges in diagnosis and therapy. Various evidence of etiology has been evaluated with the aim of establishing a novel therapeutic approach. The main issue in the diagnosis and management is to focus on the evaluation of strict diagnostic criteria to minimize under- and overdiagnosis. Fibromyalgia is a challenge for perioperative management because of the increased risk of possible complications and poorer outcomes, including postoperative pain chronification. The authors have proposed an up-to-date evaluation of perioperative management considering the current guidelines. Multimodal analgesia combined with tailored perioperative care is the most appropriate assessment. Interdisciplinary research with special interest in pain management, including perioperative medicine, seems to be the main theme for the future.