title: Fever of unknown origin in children: the experience of one center in Turkey.
abstract: Knowledge about the etiology of fever of unknown origin (FUO) has been changed under the influence of new advances in diagnostic techniques in both adulthood and childhood. Seventy-seven patients with the diagnosis of FUO were evaluated retrospectively. Forty-six (60%) of the patients were male and 31 (40%) were female, with ages ranging from 4 months to 16 years (mean: 4.5 years). Physical findings were absolutely normal in 33 (42.9%) patients, and the most common findings were hepatosplenomegaly (15.5%) and lymphadenopathy (15.5%). The etiologies were determined in 69 patients with FUO. The most common diagnoses were infectious diseases (50.7%), malignancy (14.4%), collagen vascular disorders (7.2%), and miscellaneous conditions (27.5%). With the development of diagnostic tools, the etiologies in a considerable number of patients with FUO were diagnosed. A detailed history and physical examination are required for accurate diagnosis, and if indicated, invasive procedures should be instituted.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. hasantezer@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tezer
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceyhan
authors.forename: Ateş
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: Ali Bülent
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Cengiz
authors.forename: İlker
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Devrim
authors.forename: Gülten
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seçmeer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D010808:Physical Examination; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology