Diseases

Cvs Syndrome (Cyclic Vomitting Syndrome)

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Cyclic vomiting syndrome (us english) or cyclical vomiting syndrome (uk english) (cvs) is a chronic functional condition of unknown cause characterised by recurring attacks of intense nausea, vomiting, and sometimes abdominal pain, headaches, or migraines. Cvs typically develops during childhood, usually between ages 3 and 7; although it often remits during adolescence, it can persist into adult life.

SYMPTOMS

Sufferers may vomit or retch 6–12 times in an hour and an episode may last from a few hours to over three weeks and in some cases months, with a median episode duration of 41 hours. Acid, bile and, if the vomiting is severe, blood may be vomited. Some sufferers will ingest water to reduce the irritation of bile and acid on the esophagus during emesis. Between episodes, the sufferer is usually normal and healthy otherwise but can be in a weak state of fatigue or experience muscle pain. In approximately half of cases the attacks, or episodes, occur in a time-related manner. Each attack is stereotypical; that is, in any given individual, the timing, frequency and severity of attacks is similar.

CAUSES

Many affected individuals have a family history of related conditions, such as migraines, in their mothers and maternal relatives, suggesting mitochondrial inheritance. Single base-pair and dna rearrangements in the mitochondrial dna have been associated with these traits.