title: Multiple Sclerosis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome overlap: When two common disorders collide.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fatigue is a major cause of disability and handicap in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients. The management of this common problem is often difficult. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) is another common cause of fatigue which is prevalent in the same population of middle aged females commonly affected by MS.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This report aims at examining the potential coexistence of MS and CFS/ME in the same patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study examining a cohort of MS patients referred for rehabilitation. The subjects were screened for CFS/ME symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-four MS patients (43 females) were screened for CFS/ME. Nine patients (14%) with a mean age 52 (SD 9.7) who were all females fulfilled the Fukuda criteria for diagnosis of CFS/ME. Their symptoms, including muscular and joint pain, malaise and recurrent headaches, were not explained by the pattern of their MS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MS and CFS/ME are two common conditions with increased prevalence in middle aged females. As the diagnosis of CFS/ME is clinical with no positive clinical signs or investigations; it can be made with difficulty in the presence of another clear explanation for the disabling fatigue. Our results suggest that the two conditions may co-exist. Considering CFS/ME as a potential co-morbidity may lead to more focused and appropriate management.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Rehabilitation, Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust, Wigan, UK.
authors.forename: Tarek A-Z K
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Gaber
authors.affiliation: Neurological Rehabilitation, Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Wah Wah
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Oo
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medicine, Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust, Wigan, UK.
authors.forename: Hollie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ringrose
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D063806:Myalgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Multiple Sclerosis; fatigue; myalgic encephalitis