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Medically unexplained symptom

MedGen UID:
825706
•Concept ID:
C3839861
•
Sign or Symptom
Synonyms: Medically Unexplained Symptom; Medically Unexplained Symptoms; Somatic Symptom; Somatic Symptoms; Symptom, Medically Unexplained; Symptom, Somatic; Symptoms, Medically Unexplained; Symptoms, Somatic; Unexplained Symptom, Medically; Unexplained Symptoms, Medically
SNOMED CT: Medically unexplained symptom (702537003)

Definition

Persistent health symptoms which remain unexplained after a complete medical evaluation. A cluster of symptoms that consistently appear together but without a known cause are referred to as a MEDICALLY UNEXPLAINED SYNDROME (MUS). [from MeSH]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVMedically unexplained symptom

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Medically unexplained symptom management.
Schröder A, Sharpe M, Fink P
Lancet Psychiatry 2015 Jul;2(7):587-8. Epub 2015 Jun 30 doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00233-3. PMID: 26303546
Somatoform disorders and medically unexplained symptoms in primary care.
Haller H, Cramer H, Lauche R, Dobos G
Dtsch Arztebl Int 2015 Apr 17;112(16):279-87. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2015.0279. PMID: 25939319Free PMC Article
Insecure attachment and frequent attendance in primary care: a longitudinal cohort study of medically unexplained symptom presentations in ten UK general practices.
Taylor RE, Marshall T, Mann A, Goldberg DP
Psychol Med 2012 Apr;42(4):855-64. Epub 2011 Aug 31 doi: 10.1017/S0033291711001589. PMID: 21880165

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Communication interventions for medically unexplained symptom conditions in general practice: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Byrne AK, Scantlebury A, Jones K, Doherty L, Torgerson DJ
PLoS One 2022;17(11):e0277538. Epub 2022 Nov 14 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277538. PMID: 36374916Free PMC Article
Clinical physiologists' experiences of working with people with nonepileptic attack disorder: A qualitative study.
McNicholas O, Pryce H
Epilepsy Behav 2022 Feb;127:108501. Epub 2022 Jan 8 doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108501. PMID: 35016053
Somatoform disorders and medically unexplained symptoms in primary care.
Haller H, Cramer H, Lauche R, Dobos G
Dtsch Arztebl Int 2015 Apr 17;112(16):279-87. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2015.0279. PMID: 25939319Free PMC Article
Leg symptoms of somatic, psychic, and unexplained origin in the population-based Bonn vein study.
Amsler F, Rabe E, Blättler W
Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2013 Aug;46(2):255-62. Epub 2013 May 21 doi: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2013.04.026. PMID: 23702111
Medically unexplained symptom reports are associated with a decreased response to the rubber hand illusion.
Miles E, Poliakoff E, Brown RJ
J Psychosom Res 2011 Oct;71(4):240-4. Epub 2011 Apr 22 doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2011.04.002. PMID: 21911101

Diagnosis

Communication interventions for medically unexplained symptom conditions in general practice: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Byrne AK, Scantlebury A, Jones K, Doherty L, Torgerson DJ
PLoS One 2022;17(11):e0277538. Epub 2022 Nov 14 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277538. PMID: 36374916Free PMC Article
Under-recognition of medically unexplained symptom conditions among US Veterans with Gulf War Illness.
Kane NS, Anastasides N, Litke DR, Helmer DA, Hunt SC, Quigley KS, Pigeon WR, McAndrew LM
PLoS One 2021;16(12):e0259341. Epub 2021 Dec 7 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259341. PMID: 34874939Free PMC Article
What is in a name? Autonomic imbalance and medically unexplained symptoms in Taiwan.
Chen JS
Sociol Health Illn 2021 May;43(4):881-894. Epub 2021 Mar 13 doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.13262. PMID: 33713482Free PMC Article
Somatoform disorders and medically unexplained symptoms in primary care.
Haller H, Cramer H, Lauche R, Dobos G
Dtsch Arztebl Int 2015 Apr 17;112(16):279-87. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2015.0279. PMID: 25939319Free PMC Article
Medically unexplained symptoms and the concept of somatization.
Heinrich TW
WMJ 2004;103(6):83-7. PMID: 15622826

Therapy

Efficacy of aripiprazole as adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder with somatic symptoms: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with clinical and electroencephalography evidence.
Kim HJ, Han DH, Choi KT, Hwang HC, Min KJ, Kim SM
J Psychopharmacol 2023 Mar;37(3):289-302. Epub 2022 Oct 14 doi: 10.1177/02698811221127294. PMID: 36239033
Communication interventions for medically unexplained symptom conditions in general practice: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Byrne AK, Scantlebury A, Jones K, Doherty L, Torgerson DJ
PLoS One 2022;17(11):e0277538. Epub 2022 Nov 14 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277538. PMID: 36374916Free PMC Article
Open Trial of Integrated Primary Care Consultation for Medically Unexplained Symptoms.
Hubley S, Uebelacker LA, Nash J, Eaton CB
J Behav Health Serv Res 2017 Oct;44(4):590-601. doi: 10.1007/s11414-016-9528-5. PMID: 27530260
Chemosensory perception, symptoms and autonomic responses during chemical exposure in multiple chemical sensitivity.
Andersson L, Claeson AS, Dantoft TM, Skovbjerg S, Lind N, Nordin S
Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2016 Jan;89(1):79-88. Epub 2015 Apr 28 doi: 10.1007/s00420-015-1053-y. PMID: 25917753
Somatoform disorders and medically unexplained symptoms in primary care.
Haller H, Cramer H, Lauche R, Dobos G
Dtsch Arztebl Int 2015 Apr 17;112(16):279-87. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2015.0279. PMID: 25939319Free PMC Article

Prognosis

Efficacy of aripiprazole as adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder with somatic symptoms: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with clinical and electroencephalography evidence.
Kim HJ, Han DH, Choi KT, Hwang HC, Min KJ, Kim SM
J Psychopharmacol 2023 Mar;37(3):289-302. Epub 2022 Oct 14 doi: 10.1177/02698811221127294. PMID: 36239033
Leg symptoms of somatic, psychic, and unexplained origin in the population-based Bonn vein study.
Amsler F, Rabe E, Blättler W
Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2013 Aug;46(2):255-62. Epub 2013 May 21 doi: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2013.04.026. PMID: 23702111
Insecure attachment and frequent attendance in primary care: a longitudinal cohort study of medically unexplained symptom presentations in ten UK general practices.
Taylor RE, Marshall T, Mann A, Goldberg DP
Psychol Med 2012 Apr;42(4):855-64. Epub 2011 Aug 31 doi: 10.1017/S0033291711001589. PMID: 21880165
Do patients whose psychogenic non-epileptic seizures resolve, 'replace' them with other medically unexplained symptoms? Medically unexplained symptoms arising after a diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.
McKenzie PS, Oto M, Graham CD, Duncan R
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2011 Sep;82(9):967-9. Epub 2011 Mar 18 doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2010.231886. PMID: 21421771
Medical and psychiatric symptoms in women with childhood sexual abuse.
Walker EA, Katon WJ, Hansom J, Harrop-Griffiths J, Holm L, Jones ML, Hickok L, Jemelka RP
Psychosom Med 1992 Nov-Dec;54(6):658-64. doi: 10.1097/00006842-199211000-00005. PMID: 1454959

Clinical prediction guides

Efficacy of aripiprazole as adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder with somatic symptoms: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with clinical and electroencephalography evidence.
Kim HJ, Han DH, Choi KT, Hwang HC, Min KJ, Kim SM
J Psychopharmacol 2023 Mar;37(3):289-302. Epub 2022 Oct 14 doi: 10.1177/02698811221127294. PMID: 36239033
Psychological Stresses in Children Trigger Cytokine- and Kynurenine Metabolite-Mediated Abdominal Pain and Proinflammatory Changes.
Myint K, Jacobs K, Myint AM, Lam SK, Lim YA, Boey CC, Hoe SZ, Guillemin GJ
Front Immunol 2021;12:702301. Epub 2021 Sep 1 doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.702301. PMID: 34539633Free PMC Article
Open Trial of Integrated Primary Care Consultation for Medically Unexplained Symptoms.
Hubley S, Uebelacker LA, Nash J, Eaton CB
J Behav Health Serv Res 2017 Oct;44(4):590-601. doi: 10.1007/s11414-016-9528-5. PMID: 27530260
Leg symptoms of somatic, psychic, and unexplained origin in the population-based Bonn vein study.
Amsler F, Rabe E, Blättler W
Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2013 Aug;46(2):255-62. Epub 2013 May 21 doi: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2013.04.026. PMID: 23702111
Medically unexplained symptom reports are associated with a decreased response to the rubber hand illusion.
Miles E, Poliakoff E, Brown RJ
J Psychosom Res 2011 Oct;71(4):240-4. Epub 2011 Apr 22 doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2011.04.002. PMID: 21911101

Recent systematic reviews

Communication interventions for medically unexplained symptom conditions in general practice: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Byrne AK, Scantlebury A, Jones K, Doherty L, Torgerson DJ
PLoS One 2022;17(11):e0277538. Epub 2022 Nov 14 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277538. PMID: 36374916Free PMC Article
Central sensitization in chronic pain and medically unexplained symptom research: A systematic review of definitions, operationalizations and measurement instruments.
den Boer C, Dries L, Terluin B, van der Wouden JC, Blankenstein AH, van Wilgen CP, Lucassen P, van der Horst HE
J Psychosom Res 2019 Feb;117:32-40. Epub 2018 Dec 25 doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.12.010. PMID: 30665594

Supplemental Content

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