Fever in rheumatic and autoimmune disease

This article reviews the most common clinical conditions presenting with fever and musculoskeletal symptoms and attempts to categorize these disorders according to general etiologic categories as an aid to differential diagnosis. Although a substantial armamentarium of serologic, immunologic, and molecular laboratory studies have been developed and are available to the clinician, the most important data are obtained from a careful history and physical examination with emphasis on the musculoskeletal system.