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Myalgic encephalomyelitis
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is a neurological disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), classified as a post-viral fatigue syndrome (ICD10 code: G93.3) by the World Health Organization (WHO). The name indicates inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord accompanied by myalgia (muscle pain). The disease affects multiple bodily systems, including the immune, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and metabolic.[1]
ME is an endemic disease which is subject to periodic epidemics.[2] While the prognosis is poor, recorded fatalities are relatively rare.
Patients experience a multitude of functional problems, such as exercise intolerance, orthostatic intolerance, chronic fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, sensory disturbances, information processing problems of the brain, concentration loss, malaise, emotional disturbances and sleep disturbances.[3]
Diagnosis
The CNS inflammation in ME does not show on MRI scans as with multiple sclerosis, but has been observed in autopsies as was the case for Sophia Mirza.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Research where patients are selected with a diagnosis of ME is relatively rare outside the recorded epidemics. Since the early 1990s, commonly a simplifying working diagnosis is used to select patients, known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).[4] While intended for research purposes only, CFS criteria became a common clinical working diagnosis as well, almost replacing the main diagnosis of ME entirely.
CFS is easier to diagnose than ME, but the CFS population and patient selections may contain a significant number of patients that would not be diagnosed with ME.[5] In 2003, an attempt was made to devise a clinical working case definition that would minimalize this drawback, the Canadian consensus definition of ME/CFS.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag[6]
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