title: Pyrexia of unknown origin in children: a review of 102 patients from Turkey.
abstract: Pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) has not been appropriately investigated in Turkish children and therefore a study was undertaken to determine the causes of PUO and to evaluate which clinical procedures are useful in establishing a diagnosis. A total of 102 children fitting the classical PUO criteria seen in our clinic between 1995 and 2002 were investigated retrospectively. Infections, collagen vascular disorders, malignancy and miscellaneous conditions constituted 44.2%, 6.8%, 11.7% and 24.5% of cases, respectively, while 12.8% of the cases remained undiagnosed. Enteric fever, brucellosis and respiratory tract infections were the most commonly encountered infections, whereas familial Mediterranean fever was the commonest non-infectious disorder. Biopsy, aspiration, serology, bacteriology, radiology and observation of the clinical course were the most useful diagnostic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Ankara Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. erginciftci@doctor.com
authors.forename: Ergin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ciftçi
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ince
authors.forename: Ulker
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Doğru
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000150:complications; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications