This Publication Is Searchable The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Section 21. Special Subjects Chapter 287.
Many persons suffer greatly from syndromes for which no specific cause can be found.
Some physicians view these syndromes as the result of psychologic factors, although most persons with symptoms reject a psychologic cause. Some patients may have scattered, unrelated symptoms that do not form a syndrome, but some of these patients may have physical disease that cannot be diagnosed. The first responsibility of the physician confronted by such a patient is to obtain a thorough history of exposure and to exclude specific, potentially treatable causes. If no cause is identified, supportive, sympathetic follow-up is required. All rights reserved.