title: [Chronic fatigue syndrome].
abstract: Reports on conditions of chronic fatigue associated with other somatopsychic symptoms after acute viral infections have led to the hypothesis of a "chronic fatigue syndrome" (CFS). Historical disease descriptions, like e.g. "myalgic encephalomyelitits", were updated by means of modern virological diagnostic techniques and data analysis. Several viral agents like enteroviruses, Epstein-Barr virus, Human-Herpesvirus 6 and other herpesviruses have been implicated for possible underlying infections. A preliminary disease definition by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) seeks to provide a rational basis for further etiological studies. In fact, there is growing consensus that the syndrome comprises various separate disease entities and causative agents. Today we can tentatively differentiate a "chronic mononucleosis" after infection with Epstein-Barr virus, an etiologically undetermined "postviral fatigue syndrome" and a fatigue syndrome of the myalgic type after Coxsackie-B virus infection. Furthermore, a valid diagnosis of CFS must be based on the exclusion of defined other diseases and the awareness of dealing with a hypothetical concept. As a result, current knowledge does not yet allow specific therapeutic recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik der Universität Bonn.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ewig
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Dengler
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human; D006801:Humans; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications*
vernacular_title: Das "Chronische Müdigkeitssyndrom" ("Chronic Fatigue Syndrome").