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Development of the 1994 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Case Definition and Clinical Evaluation Guidelines

  • Chapter
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Abstract

A case definition is a methodologic tool that establishes criteria for classifying (in formal research) or diagnosing (in clinical practice) a case of illness or disease. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is defined solely on the basis of patient-reported symptoms and the exclusion, by clinical evaluation, of other causes of such symptoms. None of the symptoms are specific for CFS and there are no diagnostic or confirmatory laboratory tests or physical findings (Holmes, 1989; Shafran, 1991; Klonoff, 1992). Because of these limitations, published reference CFS case definitions have been crucial for coordinating research on this condition and for facilitating effective communications among investigators, physicians, and patients.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Influenza Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Keiji Fukuda

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  1. Keiji Fukuda
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Shlomo Yehuda

  2. Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    David I. Mostofsky

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Fukuda, K. (1997). Development of the 1994 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Case Definition and Clinical Evaluation Guidelines. In: Yehuda, S., Mostofsky, D.I. (eds) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5953-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5953-5_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7728-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5953-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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