Objective: To describe clinical and laboratory guidelines for assessment and management of patients presenting with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
Data sources: Relevant international consensus diagnostic criteria and research literature on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, concurrent medical and psychological disturbance and clinical management of CFS.
Conclusions: Medical and psychiatric morbidity should be carefully assessed and actively treated, while unnecessary laboratory investigations and extravagant treatment regimens should be avoided. No single infective agent has been demonstrated as the cause of CFS, and immunopathological hypotheses remain speculative. The aetiological role of psychological factors is debated, but they do predict prolonged illness. The rate of spontaneous recovery appears to be high. Effective clinical management requires a multidisciplinary approach, with consideration of the medical, psychological and social factors influencing recovery.