Gender differences in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

<bold>Objective: </bold>To determine whether there are differences between men and women patients who have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and, if so, to ascertain whether a gender-related pattern exists.<bold>Design: </bold>A descriptive study of demographic, clinical, and psychosocial measures, the results of which were prospectively collected for patients who had CFS.<bold>Setting: </bold>A university-based referral clinic devoted to the evaluation and management of chronic fatigue.<bold>Patients: </bold>348 CFS patients who had undergone complete medical evaluations.<bold>Measures: </bold>Clinical variables included symptoms, physical examination findings, and laboratory results. Psychosocial assessment consisted of a structured psychiatric interview, the Medical Outcomes Study Short-form General Health Survey to assess functional status, the General Health Questionnaire to ascertain psychological distress, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, and measures of attribution, social support, and coping.<bold>Main Results: </bold>Overall, few gender-related differences were identified. Women had a higher frequency of tender or enlarged lymph nodes (60% versus 33%, p < or = 0.01) and fibromyalgia (36% versus 12%, p < or = 0.001) and lower scores on the physical functioning subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study Short-form General Health Survey (37.6 versus 52.2, p < 0.01); men more often had pharyngeal inflammation (42% versus 22%, p < or = 0.001) and reported a higher lifetime prevalence of alcoholism (20% versus 9%, p < or = 0.01).<bold>Conclusions: </bold>In general, demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors do not distinguish men from women CFS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]