Fever of unknown origin history and symptoms

Resident Survival Guide

Fever of unknown origin Microchapters
Home
Patient Information
Overview
Historical perspective
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating Fever of unknown origin from other Diseases
Risk Factors
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
Diagnosis
Diagnostic Criteria
Diagnostic study of choice
History and Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
Electrocardiogram
X-ray
Echocardiography and ultrasound
CT scan
MRI
Other Diagnostic Studies
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Surgery
Prevention
Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy
Future or Investigational Therapies
Case Studies
Case #1
Fever of unknown origin history and symptoms On the Web
Most recent articles
Most cited articles
Review articles
CME Programs
Powerpoint slides
Images
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Fever of unknown origin history and symptoms All Images X-rays Echo & Ultrasound CT Images MRI
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse
NICE Guidance
FDA on Fever of unknown origin history and symptoms
CDC on Fever of unknown origin history and symptoms
Fever of unknown origin history and symptoms in the news
Blogs on Fever of unknown origin history and symptoms
Directions to Hospitals Treating Fever of unknown origin
Risk calculators and risk factors for Fever of unknown origin history and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Synonyms and keywords: febris continua e causa ignota; febris e causa ignota; febris E.C.I.; FUO; PUO; pyrexia of unknown origin

Pattern of Fever

The pattern of fever generally offers little diagnostic value in ascertaining the etiology of fever. Characteristic fever patterns include:

• Sustained fever (suggestive of brucellosis, drug fever, lobar pneumonia, tularemia, typhoid, typhus)
• Remittent fever (suggestive of tuberculosis, mycoplasma pneumonia, malaria, legionellosis)
• Intermittent fever (suggestive of malaria, kala-azar, pyaemia)

• Double quotidian fever (suggestive of Still's disease, legionellosis, miliary tuberculosis, kala-azar)
• Quotidian fever (suggestive of Plasmodium falciparum or Plasmodium knowlesi malaria)
• Tertian fever (suggestive of Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium ovale malaria)
• Quartan fever (suggestive of Plasmodium malariae malaria)
• Alternate-day fever (suggestive of response to antipyretic dosage schedule)

• Hyperpyrexia (suggestive of intracranial hemorrhage, septicemia, Kawasaki disease, thyroid storm, drug fever)
• Hectic or spiking pattern (suggestive of biliary or urinary tract infection, endocarditis)
• Irregular pattern (suggestive of factitious fever)
• Pel-Ebstein pattern (suggestive of Hodgkin's lymphoma)
• Picket fence pattern (suggestive of acute mastoiditis complicated by transverse sinus thrombosis)
• Saddleback pattern (suggestive of dengue fever, leptospirosis, poliomyelitis, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis)
• Wunderlich curve pattern (suggestive of typhoid fever)