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Symptom: FUO



Introduction: FUO

FUO: Fever of unknown origin (fever without known cause). See free access online books about FUO below. See detailed information below for a list of 25 causes of FUO, including diseases and drug side effect causes.

» Review Causes of FUO: full list

Causes of FUO:

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of FUO. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

See full list of 25 causes of FUO

» Review Causes of FUO: full list

FUO: Multiple Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with FUO, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms

Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations

See full list of 918 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to FUO

Home Diagnostic Testing and FUO

Home medical tests possibly related to FUO:

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

Causes of Similar Symptoms to FUO

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom FUO:

Diagnostic Guides for FUO

Medical Books Excerpts Read excertps from published book sections related to FUO from the following published medical books for more detailed information about FUO. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about FUO

Medical Books Excerpts
  • "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care"
  • "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)"
  • "A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis"
  • "A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)"
  • "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter"
  • "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter"
  • "Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis"
  • "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series"
  • "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses"
  • "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics"
  • "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms"

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic tests for FUO:

Various tests are used in the diagnosis of FUO. Some of these are listed below :

  • Physical examination
    • Temperature - Fevers can be due to infection, malignant disease; metabolic disorders e.g. gout; blood disorders e.g. hemolytic anemia; vascular disorders e.g. stroke, brain hemorrhage; immunological disorders e.g. lupus.
    • Examine the heart for a heart murmur which would suggest bacterial endocarditis
    • Examine the lungs for noises that suggest pneumonia or bronchiectasis
    • Examine the abdomen for enlarged liver - enlarged liver without jaundice may suggest amoebic abscess.

See full list of 40 diagnostic tests for FUO

Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of FUO. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

  • How long have you had the fever of unknown origin? - i.e. fever, either intermittent or continuous, that lasts for two weeks or more and when routine investigations have failed to reveal a cause.
  • What is the pattern of the fever? - e.g. intermittent fever of malaria; continuous fever is common with viral infections; remittent fever where temperature returns towards normal for a variable period but is always elevated may occur with pelvic abscess and cancer; undulant fever where bouts of fever for several days are followed by several days of normal temperature occur with brucellosis infection and lymphomas.
  • Travel history? - overseas travelers or visitors may have special or even exotic infections.
  • Recent tick bite? - may suggest Lyme disease.
  • Contact with animals or birds? - may suggest Brucellosis (from infected cattle or goats) or Psittacosis (from infected birds).

See Diagnosis Checklist for FUO (15 listings)

Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with FUO) may include:

  • Frequency and burning of urine? - would suggest pyelonephritis, abscess around the kidney or abscess in the prostate.
  • Cough? - may suggest pneumonia, lung abscess, bronchiectasis or tuberculosis.
  • Bone pain or bone swelling? - may suggest osteomyelitis.
  • Pain and location of the pain? - can help determine focus of infection.
  • Body discharge? - e.g. vaginal, penile, anal, tooth, ear, nasal.

See Diagnosis Checklist for FUO (15 listings)

Stories from Users for FUO

Real-life user stories relating to FUO:

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to FUO or relevant symptoms:

Videos for FUO

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Types of Kidney Stones

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A New Way to Attack NHL

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See full list of 17 related videos

Patient Surveys for FUO

Medications or substances causing FUO:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of FUO as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

See full list of 17 medications causing FUO

Definitions of FUO:

FUO: Abbreviation for fever of unknown origin.
Source: Stedman's Medical Spellchecker, © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Organs affected by FUO:

The list of organs typically affected by FUO may include, but is not limited to:

  • General constitution

Detailed list of causes of FUO

The list below shows some of the causes of FUO mentioned in various sources:

See full list of 25 causes of FUO

How Common are these Causes of FUO?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of FUO. Of the 25 causes of FUO that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

  • 0 causes are "very common" diseases
  • 2 causes are "common" diseases
  • 1 causes are "uncommon" diseases
  • 1 causes are "rare" diseases
  • 13 causes are "very rare" diseases
  • 9 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 25 causes of FUO

Conditions listing symptoms: FUO:

The following list of conditions have 'FUO' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

H

  • Hereditary primary Fanconi disease ... unexplained fever
  • HIV/AIDS ... frequent low-grade fevers
  • Hodgkin's Disease ... recurring intermittent fever, Unexplained recurrent fevers

    K

  • Krabbé Disease ... unexplained fevers

    L

  • Lupus ... unexplained fever

    N

  • Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma ... Unexplained fever

    T

  • Toni-Fanconi syndrome type 1 ... unexplained fever

    Join in at the forums

    Ask or answer a question about symptoms or diseases at one of our free interactive user forums.

    Medical story forums: If you have a medical story then we want to hear it.

    See a list of all the medical forums

  • Causes of FUO Based on Risk Factors

    This information shows analysis of the list of causes of FUO based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient:

  • Travel - has the patient travelled recently?
  • Diabetes - history of diabetes or family history of diabetes?
  • Sexual activity - history of sexual behavior?

    Doctors and specialists: Who should I consult about FUO?

    Depending on the seriousness of the onset of FUO, you may want to consult one of the following medical professionals.
    Important:In extreme cases, always seek advice from emergency services :

    Classifications of FUO:

    Medical Conditions associated with FUO:

    Fever (982 causes), Common symptoms (4525 causes), Temperature symptoms (1009 causes), Sick (3125 causes)

    Symptoms related to FUO:

    Fever (982 causes), Infection (171 causes), High fever (58 causes)

    FUO as a disease:

    For a more detailed analysis of FUO as a disease, please see our Disease Center information for FUO.

    Medical articles on signs and symptoms:

    Doctor-patient articles related to symptoms and diagnosis:

    These general medical articles may be of interest:

    See full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

    Related medical articles from our Disease Center for Fever of Unknown Origin:


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