Jordan, K M, Landis, D A, Downey, M C et al. · The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 1998 · DOI
This review examined what was known about ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) specifically in children and teenagers. The authors looked at existing research to understand how the illness affects young people, how doctors recognize it, and what happens to patients over time. This study helps explain what ME/CFS looks like in younger patients, which is often different from how it appears in adults.
Children and adolescents with ME/CFS are often overlooked in research and clinical practice, yet they face unique challenges including school disruption, developmental impacts, and delayed diagnosis. This review helped establish that ME/CFS in young people is a legitimate illness requiring specific clinical attention, not a psychological or developmental phase. Understanding pediatric presentation patterns is essential for earlier recognition and appropriate management.
This review does not establish the cause of ME/CFS in young people, nor does it prove any specific diagnostic test or biomarker. The heterogeneity of case definitions across reviewed studies means conclusions about prevalence or prognosis should be considered preliminary. It cannot determine whether pediatric ME/CFS has a different underlying mechanism than adult ME/CFS.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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