Medically unexplained symptoms

Abstract

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are physical symptoms that have existed for several weeks, for which adequate medical examination or investigation has not revealed any medical condition that sufficiently explains the symptoms. Physical symptoms such as headaches, back pain, abdominal pain, dizziness and feelings of weakness or fatigue are common. MUS is a working hypothesis based on the assumption that somatic or psychiatric pathology have been adequately detected and treated but clinical condition presented by the patient was not adequately resolved. Any change in symptoms could be a reason to revise the working hypothesis of MUS. The biopsychosocial model proposes illness to be viewed as a result of interacting mechanisms at the biomedical, interpersonal and environmental or contextual levels. Therefore the exploration of symptoms in patients with MUS should focus on the exact chronology of the symptoms themselves, including where and when the symptoms appear. Based on the exploration of symptoms, the clinician is able to evaluate the severity of MUS.