[Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome in children and adolescents].

Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are quite common affections in children and adolescents. The clinical symptoms include various manifestations such as diffuse musculoskeletal pain, feeling of fatigue, depressive symptoms, headache, sleep disturbances etc. Physiological, enetic, psychological/psychosocial and environmental factors are involved in the pathogenesis of the disorders. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome may cause significant deterioration of the functional capacity with severe consequences for the child/adolescent's family and social life as well as his/her development. There is need for early diagnosis, open discussion with the child/adolescent and his/her family and therapeutic intervention including drug treatment, physical therapy and psychotherapy.