Chronic fatigue syndrome

A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

(Page 2)

A diagnosis of CFS must include:

• Absence of other causes of chronic fatigue (excluding depression)
• At least four of the other symptoms listed
• Extreme, prolonged fatigue

There are no specific tests to confirm the diagnosis of CFS, although a variety of tests are usually done to exclude other possible causes of the symptoms.

The following test results, while not specific enough to diagnose CFS, are seen consistently in people who are eventually diagnosed with the disorder:

• Brain MRI showing swelling in the brain or destruction of part of the nerve cells (demyelination)
• Higher levels of specific white blood cells (CD4 T cells) compared with other types of white blood cells (CD8 T cells)
• Specific white blood cells (lymphocytes) containing active forms of EBV or HHV-6

Review Date: 02/03/2009
Reviewed By: Mark James Borigini, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

---

---