Tag: post-infectious onset

The prognosis after multidisciplinary treatment for patients with postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome and noninfectious chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

The prognosis after multidisciplinary treatment for patients with postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, n = 9) and noninfectious CFS (n = 9) was clarified. After treatment, natural killer (NK) cell activity increased in the postinfectious CFS group but did not recover to within normal range in the noninfectious CFS group. In the postinfectious CFS group, physical and mental symptoms improved, and 8 patients returned to work. In the noninfectious CFS group, symptoms did not improve, and only 3 patients returned to work. The prognosis of postinfectious CFS group was better than that of noninfectious CFS group. Classification of CFS patients into postinfectious and noninfectious groups is useful for choosing the appropriate treatment in order to obtain better prognosis.

 

Source: Masuda A, Nakayama T, Yamanaka T, Koga Y, Tei C. The prognosis after multidisciplinary treatment for patients with postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome and noninfectious chronic fatigue syndrome. J Behav Med. 2002 Oct;25(5):487-97. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442563

 

A cluster of cases of chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: clinical and immunologic studies

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by unexplained, persistent fatigue and other symptoms including arthralgias, myalgias, cognitive impairment, and depression [1, 2]. It has been postulated that infectious agents play a role in both sporadic cases and clustered cases of CFS [3- 5].

We were notified of a cluster of CFS cases that occurred in a women’s residential facility; these cases were associated with an influenza-like outbreak in February 1990. We conducted a study of these events in 1993. Between 1990 and 1993,36 women had lived in the facility. Sixteen of these residents reported fatigue that lasted more than or equal to1 month during the 3-year study interval. Two of the residents who entered the facility before 1990 already had fatigue. Five residents stated that the onset of fatigue corresponded to the outbreak of the influenza-like illness. Nine women described no temporal relationship between their fatigue and the “flu” outbreak. The fatigue resolved in two of these nine women after several weeks, while it persisted in the other seven. Evaluations were performed for these seven residents, and diagnoses including lupus, ulcerative colitis, or hyperparathyroidism were considered for three, but no cause for the fatigue was established for the other four.

You can read the rest of this article here: http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/2/408.long

 

Source: Levine PH, Dale JK, Benson-Grigg E, Fritz S, Grufferman S, Straus SE. A cluster of cases of chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: clinical and immunologic studies. Clin Infect Dis. 1996 Aug;23(2):408-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8842294

 

Postinfectious chronic fatigue: a distinct syndrome?

Abstract:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is often preceded by a viral illness and has recurrent “flu-like” symptoms. We compared demographic, clinical, and laboratory features (markers of inflammation and viral infection) among 717 patients with chronic fatigue (CF) with and without a self-reported postinfectious onset to identify associated clinical and biologic findings and to examine the subset of patients with CFS. Only subjective fever, chills, sore throat, lymphadenopathy, poorer functional status, and attribution of illness to a physical condition were significantly associated with a postinfectious onset. The features of patients with CFS were virtually identical to those of the broader category of patients with CF. We conclude that a postinfectious onset was not associated with a pattern of abnormalities across multiple psychosocial and biologic parameters.

 

Source: Buchwald D, Umali J, Pearlman T, Kith P, Ashley R, Wener M. Postinfectious chronic fatigue: a distinct syndrome? Clin Infect Dis. 1996 Aug;23(2):385-7. http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/2/385.long (Full article)

 

Clinical presentation of chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a chronic illness of uncertain aetiology characterized by at least six months of debilitating fatigue and associated symptoms. The symptoms of the syndrome are all non-specific and some (but not all) are also seen in psychiatric illness. The symptomatology suggesting an organic component to the illness includes its abrupt onset with an ‘infectious-like’ illness, intermittent unexplained fevers, arthralgias and ‘gelling’ (stiffness), sore throats, cough, photophobia, night sweats, and post-exertional malaise with systemic symptoms. The illness can last for years and is associated with marked impairment of functional health status.

 

Source: Komaroff AL. Clinical presentation of chronic fatigue syndrome. Ciba Found Symp. 1993;173:43-54; discussion 54-61. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8491106