Seminari online

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex and debilitating disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that cannot be explained by any underlying medical condition. The fatigue worsens with physical or mental activity and does not improve with rest. It is believed to involve a combination of factors, including viral infections, immune system dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, and psychological stress.

CFS presents a wide range of symptoms, including:

• Severe fatigue that lasts for at least six months and does not improve with rest.
• Post-exertional malaise (PEM): A worsening of symptoms after physical or mental exertion.
• Sleep disturbances: Unrefreshing sleep or difficulty falling or staying asleep.
• Cognitive impairments: Memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and “brain fog.”
• Muscle and joint pain without inflammation.
• Headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity.
• Sore throat or swollen lymph nodes.
• Orthostatic intolerance: Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or faint when standing up.

Diagnostic Criteria: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a diagnosis of CFS requires:

• Severe chronic fatigue for six months or longer that is not alleviated by rest and is not due to other medical conditions.
• The presence of at least four of the following symptoms: post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, significant impairment in short-term memory or concentration, muscle pain, multi-joint pain without swelling or redness, headaches of a new type or severity, sore throat, and tender lymph nodes.

Diagnostic steps include:

Exclusion of other conditions: Physicians must rule out other potential causes of the symptoms, such as sleep disorders, mental health issues (like depression or anxiety), thyroid disorders, and other chronic diseases.

Patient history and symptom assessment: A thorough medical history and physical examination are conducted to assess the pattern and severity of symptoms.

New important diagnostic options:
New biomolecular diagnostic procedures have been launced lately by Biovis lab to add more functional criteria fort he understanding of  the chronic fatigue syndrome. Theses diagnostics and therapeutic options  will be discussed in this seminar.

Chronic active Epstein–Barr virus Infections (CAEBV) disease is a common disorder in which persons are unable to control infection with the virus.
The disease is progressive with markedly elevated levels of EBV DNA in the blood and infiltration of organs by EBV-positive lymphocytes. Patients often present with fever, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hepatitis, or pancytopenia. Over time, these patients develop progressive immunodeficiency and if not treated, succumb to opportunistic infections, chronic fatigue syndrome, hemophagocytosis, or even multiorgan failure. It has been well documented taht EBV contrutes to autoimmune diseases, failure of glands,  or even malignancies like EBV-positive lymphomas. Patients with CAEBV present either with disease involving B or T cells, or in the Asian Region  more with T or NK cell deficiency.

The pathophysiology of this widespread health problem, as well as the corresponding diagnostic and therapeutic options will be discussed in this seminar.