Clinical characteristics of chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome in Korea

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chronic fatigue is a common symptom in primary care setting in Korea and classified into medically explained and unexplained according to the precipitating factors. The medically explained chronic fatigue may be associated with many well-known physical and psychological conditions and the medically unexplained chronic fatigue is classified into chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic chronic fatigue. The chranic fatigue syndrome is an illness that has unknown etiology and severe disabling fatigue and has been known to most physicians and public since mid-1980's. Many researches are ongoing in developed countries, although the pathophysiology and treatment of this syndrome are controversial. But in Korea, the researches for chronic fatigue and the chronic fatigue syndrome are very rare. Our goal was to assess the clinical characteristics of chronic fatigue and the chronic fatigue syndrome in Korea. METHODS: The study subjects were chronic fatigue patients visiting the chronic fatigue clinic in Kangbuk Samsung Hospital from Feb. 1. 1998 to Aug. 31. 1998 After medical history, physical examination, laboratary tests and questionnare(including fatigue, anxiety and depression scales), the study subjects were classified into the medically explained(psychological disorder and physical disorder group) and unexplained chronic fatigue patient groups(the chronic fatigue syndrome group and idiopathic chronic fatigue group). RESULTS: The final study subjects were 97 patients(psychologicsl disorder(20), physical disorder(20), idiopathic chronic fatigue(27), chronic fatigue syndrome(30)). Compared to the explained chranic fatigue group, uraxphined chronic fatigue group had higher female ratio, lower body mass index, lower blood pressure, higher fatigue scale scores, and the higher prevalence of anxiety and insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: From aur results, unexplained chronic fatigue patients had higher fatigue severity and higher prevalence of anxiety and insomnia than the explained chronic fatigue patients. Although there are limitations to generalizing the results of this study(selection bias), it is significant in that it is the first study of the chronic fatigue syndrome in Korea.