Post-Mono can look like CFS - An Follow-Up

A follow-up to this:

Chronic fatigue syndrome following infections in adolescents

Katz BZ, Jason LA.

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW:
To review the recent epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in adolescents.

RECENT FINDINGS:
Thirteen percent of adolescents (mainly women) met the criteria for CFS 6 months following infectious mononucleosis; the figure was 7% at 12 months and 4% at 24 months.

Peak work capacity, activity level, orthostatic intolerance, salivary cortisol, and natural killer cell number and function were similar between adolescents with CFS following infectious mononucleosis and recovered controls.

Autonomic system, oxygen consumption, peak oxygen pulse, psychological and cytokine network differences were documented between those who recovered and those who did not.

SUMMARY:
The prognosis of CFS is better in adolescents than in adults.

Activity level, exercise tolerance, and orthostatic testing could not distinguish patients with CFS from adolescents who have recovered from infectious mononucleosis (controls), while certain cytokine network analyses, life stress factors, and autonomic symptoms could.

Via Adrienne Dellwo

… Looking at post-mono adolescents, researchers found it was mainly the girls who continued to have symptoms long term.

Many of those who fit the ME/CFS diagnostic criteria early on no longer did at follow up.

Here's at look at how the length of time post-infection effected the diagnostic rate:

6 months: 13%
12 months: 7%
24 months: 4%

Researchers say the following factors distinguished those with ME/CFS from kids who'd fully recovered:
- Certain cytokine network test results
- Oxygen consumption, at rest and during exercise
- Life stress factors (such as those caused by long-term illness)
- Symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction

They did not find significant differences in activity level, exercise tolerance or orthostatic testing.
…