Mysterious Maladies: When the Diagnosis is Elusive

There is an interesting persepective published in yesterday's New York Times by medical writer Gina Kolata. The focus is on the Undiagnosed Diseases Program at NIH, a consult of last resort for patients with symptoms and syndromes of poor diagnostic categorization.  

For some, there mere characterization and diagnosis of a disease is of great comfort, even if little can be done therapeutically to alter it's course.

Despite modern day sophistication, medical science simply cannot neatly categorize and define all maladies. Even recognized diagnoses such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, lack a clear underlying pathophysiology, unlike diabetes mellitus or sickle cell disease.

The limitations to both our diagnostic and therapeutic abilities can be humbling.