Damaging diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalitis in children
Sir,— We are being referred, from consultants and family doctors, a small but nevertheless worrying number of children and very young teenagers in whom a diagnosis of myalgic encephalitis has been made or suggested—in some cases because the mother has been diagnosed as having myalgic encephalitis.
Some of these young subjects have received management and treatment which has not been put to the generally accepted tests of clinical efficacy or safety. Virtually all have had their quality of life further and seriously impaired by the application of the myalgic encephalitis label. The consequences have been serious with withdrawal from school, loss of contact with social peers, somatising of psychological problems, and lack of rational medical treatment, whether it be from a paediatrician or child psychiatrist.
In most cases the diagnoses have been made or offered by parents with harassed practitioners acquiescing in the diagnosis without making the necessary rigorous clinical appraisal. In other cases the proffered diagnosis has led to extensive and unnecessary investigation. We believe that there is a more responsible role to be played by the ME Society. It should reconsider carefully whether it should encourage parents to consult doctors sympathetic to the diagnosis of myalgic encephalitis in adults, who are not necessarily best equipped to diagnose and manage these young patients.
We have exercised forbearance by writing in these restrained terms, but we are concerned that a diagnosis of myalgic encephalitis may seriously damage a child’s health.
FRANK HARRIS
Department of Child Health,
Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital,
Alder Hey,
Liverpool L12 2AP
L S TAITZ
Department of Child Health,
Children’s Hospital,
Sheffield
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