2008 Revised Pediatric Definition

In 2008, "A Case Definition for Children with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" was published in Clinical Practice: Pediatrics 1, (2008): 53-57. Most of the articles' authors were the same who wrote the 2006 definition.

This 2008 definition is the same as the 2006 definition, except for a few small revisions.

In the revised criteria, a separate category was established for those children and adolescents who met "almost all the criteria, and they were classified with the Moderate ME/CFS Clinical criteria. To meet this criteria, the patient has to meet four out of the five classic ME/CFS symptoms with frequency and severity ratings of moderate or severe...In addition, for autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune manifestations, adolescents had to have at least one symptom in any of the 3 categories..."

The revised definition also set up some other subcategories for those with idiopathic chronic fatigue—see the 2006 definition. One subtype in this category is Atypical ME/CFS, which is defined "as 3 or more months of fatigue, but missing more than one classic ME/CFS symptoms...Another category involves Pediatric ME/CFS-like illness, which is defined at meeting all classic ME/CFS symptom criteria, except for the 3-month duration or when one is lacking a medical evaluation."