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[Fever of unknown origin: 1. Etiology. A prospective multicenter study of 164 patients]
C Băicuş1, H D Boloşiu, C Tănăsescu
1Clinical Medicală, Spitalul Colentina Bucureşti, Unitatea de Cercetare Clinică RECIF (Réseau d'Epidémiologie Clinique International Francophone) Bucureşti.
Background:
The spectrum of fever of unknown origin seems to be determined by geographic and economic factors, and it appears to change in time. Excepting a small retrospective study, no other study on fever of unknown origin has been performed in Central or Eastern Europe.
Methods:
A multicenter cohort study was carried out on 164 consecutive patients who met the classic, modified criteria of fever of unknown origin. The study lasted 2 years (1997-1998) and included a follow-up period of another 2 years.
Main Outcome Measured:
The final diagnosis at the end of follow-up.
Results:
74 (45%) patients had infections (tuberculosis: 27 patients, 16%), 41 patients (25%) had neoplasms, 30 (18%) had non-infectious inflammatory diseases, three (2%) drug fever, and four (2%) other causes. The etiology remained obscure for 12 patients (7%).
Conclusions:
Infections represent the most important etiology, among them predominating tuberculosis.
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