Faster diagnosis for fibromyalgia on horizon.

• Position: Blood Samples - Brief article

A reliable way to use a finger-stick blood sample to detect fibromyalgia syndrome a complicated pain disorder that often is difficult to diagnose--has been developed by researchers. If it were someday made available to primary care physicians, the test could Knock up to five years off of the wait for a diagnosis.

In a Pilot study, scientists used a high-powered and specialized microscope to detect the presence of small molecules in blood-spot samples from patients known to have fibromyalgia. By "training" the equipment to recognize that molecular pattern, the researchers then showed that the microscope could tell the difference between fibromyalgia and two types of arthritis that share some of the same symptoms.

Patients with fibromyalgia often are desperate by the time they receive treatment because of the lengthy process required to make a diagnosis. The main symptoms--persistent pain and fatigue--mimic many other...