Review paper
Illusive clinical pictures of musculoskeletal pain syndromes

Common diagnostic mistakes of musculoskeletal pain syndromes are presented. Difficulties in the diagnosis were analyzed. Acroparesthesias are usually produced by carpal tunnel syndrome despite the coexistence of cervical osteophytes or lesions of the intervertebral disc. Common complains of fingers swelling in the cases of carpal tunnel syndrome can suggest the diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis or osteoarthritis. The clinical features of trochanteric syndrome can resemble the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the hip or radicular pain. Hip pain is usually caused by lesions of the lower part of lumbar spine, not of the hip. A common clinical symptom of osteoarthritis of the hip is pain of the knee. Common misdiagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome is connected with local character of the musculoskeletal pain in the majority of cases. Main causes of shoulder pain are lesions of tendon cuff even if radiological examination reveals cervical spine lesions. In rheumatologic patients the most common cause of crural pain swelling and redness resembling deep venous thrombosis is rupture of Baker’s cyst.