title: Fever of unknown origin, giant cell arteritis, and aortic dissection.
abstract: Giant cell arteritis is one of the most frequent causes of pyrexia of unknown origin after infectious or malignant causes have been ruled out. In this case report we describe a 66-year old female patient, who after five weeks of remitting fever developed a life-threatening, painless severe aortic dissection. The timely use of modern imaging technologies such as magnetic resonance angiography or positron emission computed tomography could in the future be of help to recognize aortic involvement early and to avoid this devastating complication in patients with fever of unknown origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hofheinz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertz
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wacker
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schett
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Ulmenweg 18, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. Bernhard.manger@uk-erlangen.de.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Manger
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Aortic dissection; Aortitis; Giant cell; Pyrexia of unknown origin