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Clinical Management of Pulmonary Disorders and Diseases pp 35–43Cite as

Lung Lesions During Fever of Unknown Origin

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((NR,volume 1022))

Abstract

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) remains one of the most difficult diagnostic challenges. The causes of FUO can be various diseases located in different organs. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and nature of pulmonary lesions during FUO. One hundred and sixty one patients with FUO participated in this prospective study. We performed a detailed comprehensive history, physical examination, and a wide spectrum of tests. The most common causes of FUO were infections (39%), autoimmune conditions (28%), and neoplasms (17%). Lung lesions were found in 30% of patients. In this group 35% were infections, 30% autoimmune diseases, and 4% cancer. Among patients with respiratory infections, there were cases of tuberculosis, atypical pneumonia, lung abscess, and bronchiectases. Autoimmune pulmonary lesions were observed during vasculitis and systemic lupus. The causes of FUO in the group of patients with lung lesions were also pulmonary embolism, sarcoidosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Chest CT played an important role in the diagnosis of the causes of FUO with pulmonary manifestations. Pulmonary lesions are a common cause of FUO. Most FUO with pulmonary lesions are recognized during infections and autoimmune diseases. An important part of diagnosing FUO is a detailed evaluation of the respiratory system.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Ms. Natalie Czaicki for the English revision of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest in relation to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Internal and Metabolic Diseases, Warsaw Medical University, 1A Banacha Street, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland

    Renata Krupa, Tadeusz M. Zielonka, Malgorzata Hadzik-Blaszczyk, Kazimierz A. Wardyn & Katarzyna Zycinska

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  1. Renata Krupa
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  2. Tadeusz M. Zielonka
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  3. Malgorzata Hadzik-Blaszczyk
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  4. Kazimierz A. Wardyn
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  5. Katarzyna Zycinska
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tadeusz M. Zielonka .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Opole Medical School, Opole, Poland

    Mieczyslaw Pokorski

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Krupa, R., Zielonka, T.M., Hadzik-Blaszczyk, M., Wardyn, K.A., Zycinska, K. (2017). Lung Lesions During Fever of Unknown Origin. In: Pokorski, M. (eds) Clinical Management of Pulmonary Disorders and Diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 1022. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2017_37

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