Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Differential Diagnoses

Author: Burke A Cunha, MD; Chief Editor: Michael Stuart Bronze, MD more...

Updated: Mar 21, 2012

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Diagnostic Considerations

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is, in large measure, a diagnosis of exclusion. The key diagnostic task is to differentiate it from other disorders that also have a fatigue component. CFS may be distinguished from other causes of fatigue on the basis of the presence of cognitive dysfunction, which is absent in almost all other fatigue-producing disorders. Once a specific cause of fatigue has been diagnosed, CFS is excluded by definition.

Careful perusal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria indicates that essentially any chronic illness that produces extensive disability in a setting of persistent fatigue may be included in the differential diagnosis. Conditions that can cause fatigue include the following:

Chronic heart disease
Psychiatric illnesses
Thyroid disease
Connective tissue diseases
Chronic anemia
Neoplastic disease
Chronic infections (eg, AIDS)
Endocrine diseases (eg, Addison disease)
Inflammatory bowel disease
Drug abuse
Liver disease
Renal disease

Patients with psychosomatic disorders may have elevated titers of immunoglobulin G (IgG) to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viral capsid antigen (VCA), which may be incorrectly interpreted as evidence for CFS. EBV infection may precede CFS, but it does not cause CFS. Such patients do not present with the physical findings or abnormal laboratory findings that characterize CFS. Such patients also lack the cognitive dysfunction characteristic of CFS.

CFS is readily differentiated from Lyme disease. Patients from areas with endemic Lyme disease may have elevated IgG Lyme titers. Few have neuroborreliosis, which is diagnosed by simultaneously measuring cerebrospinal fluid and serum IgM and IgG Lyme titers. CSF titers that are higher than serum titers indicate neuroborreliosis. Acute Lyme disease usually has a neurologic component, but chronic neuroborreliosis is uncommon. Patients with chronic neuroborreliosis do not have the characteristic cognitive defects of CFS and usually lack fatigue.

Because fibromyalgia does not cause cognitive defects, it is readily differentiated from CFS. Furthermore, patients with CFS do not have the trigger points that are characteristic of fibromyalgia.

It is especially important to rule out systemic disorders, particularly lymphoreticular malignancies, in patients who present with fatigue. Other diseases may be ruled out on the basis of the history, physical examination, or laboratory findings. These other potential causes of fatigue sometimes must be reinvestigated several times.

Differential Diagnoses

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Burke A Cunha, MD Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook; Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital

Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Michael Stuart Bronze, MD David Ross Boyd Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine, Stewart G Wolf Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center

Michael Stuart Bronze, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, Association of Professors of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Oklahoma State Medical Association, and Southern Society for Clinical Investigation

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

Bryan D Carter, PhD Professor of Child Psychology in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chief Psychologist in Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Director of Predoctoral Internship in Clinical Child/Pediatric Psychology, Director of Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Pediatric Psychology, Director of Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Service to Kosair Children's Hospital, University of Louisville School of Medicine

Bryan D Carter, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Psychological Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Thomas M Kerkering, MD Chief of Infectious Diseases, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Thomas M Kerkering, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American Public Health Association, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Medical Society of Virginia, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Leonard R Krilov, MD Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and International Adoption, Vice Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Professor of Pediatrics, Winthrop University Hospital

Leonard R Krilov, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Pediatric Society, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and Society for Pediatric Research

Disclosure: Medimmune Grant/research funds Cliinical trials; Medimmune Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Medimmune Consulting fee Consulting

Mark R Schleiss, MD American Legion Chair of Pediatrics, Professor of Pediatrics, Division Director, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School

Mark R Schleiss, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Pediatric Society, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and Society for Pediatric Research

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Russell W Steele, MD Head, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Ochsner Children's Health Center; Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine

Russell W Steele, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Immunologists, American Pediatric Society, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Louisiana State Medical Society, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Society for Pediatric Research, and Southern Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Julian M Stewart, MD, PhD Associate Chairman of Pediatrics, Director, Center for Hypotension, Westchester Medical Center; Professor of Pediatrics and Physiology, New York Medical College

Julian M Stewart, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Robert W Tolan Jr, MD Chief, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital; Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Drexel University College of Medicine

Robert W Tolan Jr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Phi Beta Kappa, and Physicians for Social Responsibility

Disclosure: Novartis Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Mary L Windle, PharmD Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

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