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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is chronic debilitating disorder of no known cause. It is characterised by chronic fatigue that is not due to ongoing exertion or due to another medical condition, and becomes markedly worse following minimal activity. The fatigue is further accompanied by a multitude of other symptoms affecting many body systems [1]. Patients suffer a substantial loss in quality of life, with severe disruption to daily activities. This disorder is heterogeneous in nature, with patients experiencing varied symptoms, at different severities, frequencies and duration. Patients also experience periods of relapse and remission [2]. The unknown aetiology and patho-mechanism has hindered the development of laboratory based diagnostic tools, thus diagnosis is solely based on symptom criteria. However, with the inconsistent presentation, no standardised diagnostic criteria have been established, and several criteria exist varying widely in the description of the illness [3, 4]. The lack of standardisation has resulted in CFS/ME becoming an umbrella term [5]. Patients who suffer from general chronic fatigue but do not meet the other criteria, or have fatigue as a result of an underlying condition, are often misdiagnosed with CFS/ME. Alternatively, those that may have CFS/ME are often misdiagnosed as another illness due to lack of recognition [6]. |
