The 12 year prognosis of unilateral @entity425 and XXXX .

@entity1 @entity132 @entity16 @entity1109 @entity425
BACKGROUND: Although the symptoms of unilateral "medically unexplained" or "functional" @entity425 and @entity132 present commonly to neurologists, little is known about their long term prognosis. OBJECTIVE: To determine the long term outcome of @entity425 and @entity132 . @entity1 : A previously assembled cohort of 60 @entity1 seen as inpatients by consultant neurologists in Edinburgh between 1985 and 1992 and diagnosed as having unilateral @entity425 or @entity132 . METHODS: Current symptoms, disability, and distress were assessed by postal questionnaire to the @entity1 and their family doctors. RESULTS: Follow up data relating to mortality were obtained in 56 @entity1 (93%) and to current diagnosis in 48 @entity1 (80%). @entity1 questionnaire data were obtained in 42 @entity1 (70%). The median duration of follow up was 12.5 years (range 9 to 16). Thirty five of the 42 @entity1 (83%) still reported @entity425 or @entity1109 , and the majority reported limitation of physical function, distress, and multiple other somatic symptoms. Twenty nine per cent had taken medical retirement. An examination of baseline predictors indicated that @entity1 who had @entity1109 had better functioning at follow up than those who had @entity425 . Only one @entity1 had developed a @entity16 which, in hindsight, explained the original presentation. Another @entity1 had died of unrelated causes. CONCLUSIONS: Many @entity1 assessed by neurologists with unilateral @entity425 and @entity1109 as inpatients remain symptomatic, distressed, and disabled as long as 12 years after the original diagnosis. These symptoms are only rarely explained by the subsequent development of a recognisable @entity16 in the long term.
