Chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents: a follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the frequency of persistent symptoms up to 8 years after illness onset in adolescents diagnosed as having chronic fatigue syndrome, idiopathic chronic fatigue, and unexplained fatigue for less than 6 months, and to determine if hospital admission is associated with outcome.


METHODS
A cohort study using questionnaire follow-up.


METHODS
A tertiary referral hospital.


METHODS
Consecutive adolescents referred for assessment of persistent fatigue were identified and retrospectively divided into 3 groups according to the diagnostic criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic chronic fatigue.


METHODS
A questionnaire was designed and administered by telephone at a mean of 4.57 years after the initial examination.


METHODS
The persistence of self-reported symptoms was compared with respect to patient group and admission.


RESULTS
Outcome data were obtained for 34 (69%) of the 49 eligible subjects. Twenty-five percent of the chronic fatigue syndrome group showed near to complete improvement, 31% showed partial improvement, and 44% showed no improvement. The idiopathic chronic fatigue group had near to complete recovery in 50%, partial in 10%, and no improvement in 40%. Those with unexplained fatigue for less than 6 months had all recovered. There was no difference between the outcome of the subjects admitted to the hospital and those managed as outpatients.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents with less than 6 months of fatigue have a good outcome. Unexplained fatigue lasting more than 6 months has a similar outcome regardless of the presence of minor criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome.
Department of General Pediatrics, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Anna C
AC
Gill
Ana
A
Dosen
John B
JB
Ziegler
D000293:Adolescent; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome