A Physician's Nightmare: Fever of Unknown Origin

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Case Report

Background:

• Fever of unknown origin (FUO) presents diagnostic challenges.
• FUO is defined by intermittent fever without a clear cause.
• Various etiologies contribute to the difficulty in diagnosing FUO.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a pediatric case of FUO.
• To highlight wandering spleen as a rare cause of FUO.
• To demonstrate the successful management of FUO secondary to wandering spleen.

Main Methods:

• Case presentation of an 18-month-old female with recurrent fever.
• Diagnostic workup revealing wandering spleen.
• Surgical intervention: splenectomy.

Main Results:

• The patient presented with fever, splenomegaly, abdominal pain, and constipation.
• Wandering spleen was identified as the underlying etiology.
• Post-splenectomy, fever resolved, and abdominal pain and constipation significantly improved.

Conclusions:

• Wandering spleen can manifest as FUO in pediatric patients.
• Splenectomy is an effective treatment for symptomatic wandering spleen.
• Early diagnosis and surgical intervention can resolve FUO and associated symptoms.