A fever of unknown origin workup in the emergency department reveals an unusual pathogen.
The cause of a fever of unknown origin (FUO, fever of >21 days without an identified etiology) may be a common illness, an atypical presentation of a common illness, or an unusual illness. A patient with an FUO occasionally presents to the emergency department (ED). The differential diagnosis of an FUO is extensive. A primary goal for the ED physician is to determine if the patient with an FUO has a disorder that needs immediate recognition and treatment. We describe a case of a teenage boy who presented to our ED with 2 weeks of high fever and back pain. We describe this teenage boy with FUO and a surprising diagnosis.
Hernandez-Trujillo
Hillary S
HS
Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford, CT 06106, USA. hsht18@yahoo.com
Dalberg
Todd
T
Feder
Henry
H
Smith
Sharon R
SR
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male