| Sumario: | Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are characterized by symptoms, such as fatigue, post-exertional malaise, sleep disruption and cognitive impairment. ME and CFS affect individuals across the lifespan; however, the majority of ME and CFS research has focused on adults. Research suggests that the symptom profile of pediatric ME and CFS differs from that of adults, although symptom prevalence estimates vary widely by study due to differences in recruitment methodology, symptom assessment, and application of diagnostic criteria. While two pediatric-specific ME and CFS case definitions exist, pediatricians report continued uncertainty about how to diagnose and treat the condition, often resulting in misdiagnosis and delaying access to appropriate care. Diagnostic variability also contributes to heterogeneity in research samples, hindering the search for biological markers and effective treatments. The current study sought to elucidate the characteristic symptom profile of pediatric ME and CFS through conducting a latent class analysis on symptom data aggregated from over ten thousand children and adolescents. An eight-class solution was extracted, and one class captured the majority of participants with ME and CFS. Individuals in this class endorsed a number of symptoms, including post-exertional malaise, fatigue, sleep problems, and cognitive issues. Additionally, abdominal pain and dizziness were frequently experienced by members of this class, while rarely endorsed by members of other classes. These findings have implications for the development of pediatric-specific case definitions for ME and CFS.
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