Report on Second World Congress on Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome and Related Disorders
L. Lambrecht spoke on 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
Clinical, Immunological and Neuro-imaging Correlations in 500 Patients'. Using
the CDC definition and Karnofsky scores, KS, he assessed patients for severity
of their disease. Dosage of routine laboratory parameters and erythrocyte
magnesium levels and lymphocyte phenotyping (CD8+/CD38+ associated T8-cell
percentage)were performed. Pulmonary function evaluation and maximal exercise
tests, vital capacity, forced ventilatory capacity, inspiratory ventilatory
capacity, Tiffeneau-index and peak flow index were significantly decreased in
respectively, 43,35,38,53,and 65% of cases; 2% of patients showed a significant
increase in airway resistance. Brain SPECT scans on 200 patients, MRI scans on
30 patients and polysomnographic results (250 patients) were related to
SPECT-scan findings. 294 lesions mostly involving the left temporal lobe were
found in 148 patients. KS scores negatively correlated with significant brain
scan anomalies and magnesium levels. SPECT anomalies were more frequent and
occurred in higher numbers when compared to MRI (17 lesions in 30
patients. Neurospect scans showed no perfusion in the brain stem of
one patient and an iodine tracer indicated glial cell inflammation. Lymphocyte
phenotypings were significantly increased in 52% of cases and decreased in 0%
of cases. Spenomagaly was reported in 29% of cases-this finding has not previously
been reported. CFS patients had significant psychomotor dysfunction and sleep
disturbances. All this supports the encephalomyelitic theory of CFS and
illustrates the multisystem involvement in CFS disability.