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The nosology of sub-acute and chronic fatigue syndromes that follow infectious mononucleosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2004

P. D. WHITE ,
J. M. THOMAS ,
P. F. SULLIVAN  and
D. BUCHWALD
P. D. WHITE
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Barts, London and Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London; and Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA and Departments of Genetics and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
J. M. THOMAS
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Barts, London and Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London; and Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA and Departments of Genetics and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
P. F. SULLIVAN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Barts, London and Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London; and Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA and Departments of Genetics and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
D. BUCHWALD
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Barts, London and Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London; and Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA and Departments of Genetics and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Abstract

Background. A previous principal components analysis of symptoms occurring after infectious mononucleosis suggested that a discrete fatigue syndrome occurs, which is independent of psychiatric disorder. This work has not been replicated and no latent class analysis of subjects has been published.

Method. We prospectively examined a cohort of 150 American primary care patients 2 and 6 months after the onset of corroborated infectious mononucleosis. A subset of 50 subjects was studied 4 years after onset. We performed principal components analyses of both psychological and somatic symptoms and latent class analyses of subjects.

Results. Principal components analyses consistently delineated two fatigue factors at 2 and 6 months and one fatigue factor at 4 years. These factors were separate from a mixed anxiety and depressive factor. A four-class solution for the latent class analyses consisted of most subjects with few symptoms, a few with many symptoms, a group with predominantly mood symptoms and some subjects with fatigue symptoms.

Conclusions. The symptoms of the principal factors with fatigue were similar to those previously described. Both the factors and classes were independent of an equally delineated mood factor and class. These results support the existence of two discrete chronic fatigue syndromes after infectious mononucleosis, one of which is still demonstrable 4 years after onset.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 34 , Issue 3 , April 2004 , pp. 499 - 507
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

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