Benson-Mitchell, R, Tolley, N, Croft, C B et al. · The Journal of laryngology and otology · 1994 · DOI
This case study describes one patient who was initially diagnosed with ME/CFS but later found to have Wegener's granuloma, a serious autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in blood vessels. The patient presented with hearing loss and swelling in one salivary gland, which is an unusual way for this disease to appear. The case highlights how important it is for doctors to consider other diagnoses when patients have unexpected symptoms.
This case is relevant to ME/CFS patients because it demonstrates that post-viral malaise and ME/CFS-like symptoms can occasionally mask serious underlying systemic conditions requiring different treatment approaches. It reminds both patients and clinicians to remain alert to atypical presentations and to seek additional diagnostic evaluation when symptoms evolve unexpectedly, ensuring appropriate treatment for conditions that may initially resemble ME/CFS.
This single case does not establish how often serious autoimmune diseases are misdiagnosed as ME/CFS, nor does it prove that ME/CFS diagnoses are frequently incorrect. It also does not demonstrate any causal link between ME/CFS and Wegener's granulomatosis. Case reports describe individual experiences and cannot quantify disease frequency or diagnostic accuracy across patient populations.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Benson-Mitchell, R, Tolley, N, Croft, C B, & Roberts, D (1994). Wegener's granuloma--presenting as a unilateral parotid swelling.. The Journal of laryngology and otology. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022215100126994
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-benson-mitchell-1994-wegener-granuloma,
author = {Benson-Mitchell, R and Tolley, N and Croft, C B and Roberts, D},
title = {Wegener's granuloma--presenting as a unilateral parotid swelling.},
journal = {The Journal of laryngology and otology},
year = {1994},
doi = {10.1017/s0022215100126994},
note = {PubMed: 8035127},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/benson-mitchell-1994-wegener-granuloma},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/benson-mitchell-1994-wegener-granuloma
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.