FUO

FUO: Introduction

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.

• Chronic low-level infection
• AIDS
• Tuberculosis
• Leukemia
• Subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE)
• Cancer
• Abscess
• Drug side effect
• Malaria
• Amebiasis
• Coccidioidomycosis
• Rocky mountain spotted fever
• Blastomycosis
• Histoplasmosis
• Lyme disease
• Brucellosis
• Psittacosis
• Trichinosis
• more causes...»

See full list of 25 causes of FUO

» Review Causes of FUO: full list

FUO: Symptom Checker

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

Symptom Checker

• FUO: Symptom Checker

Symptom Checker

• FUO and Fever (23 causes)
• FUO and Temperature symptoms (21 causes)
• FUO and Pain (20 causes)
• FUO and Sensations (19 causes)
• FUO and Nerve symptoms (18 causes)
• FUO and Sweat symptoms (18 causes)
• FUO and Respiratory symptoms (18 causes)
• FUO and Fatigue (16 causes)
• FUO and Muscle symptoms (16 causes)
• FUO and Weakness (16 causes)
• FUO and Swelling symptoms (15 causes)
• FUO and Digestive symptoms (15 causes)
• FUO and Head symptoms (15 causes)
• FUO and Muscle weakness (15 causes)
• FUO and Body symptoms (14 causes)
• more...»

See full list of 1452 Symptom Checker combinations related to FUO

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

• Fever (1733 causes)
• Common symptoms (7552 causes)
• Temperature symptoms (1463 causes)
• Sick (5608 causes)
• more symptoms...»

Causes of Similar Symptoms to FUO

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

• Fever (1733 causes)
• Infection (300 causes)
• High fever (66 causes)
• Chronic low-level infection
• AIDS
• Tuberculosis
• Leukemia
• Subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE)
• Cancer
• Abscess (40 causes)
• Drug side effect
• Malaria
• Amebiasis
• more symptoms...»

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

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

FUO: Medical Mistakes

• Asthma -- Health Mistakes
• Allergies -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

FUO: Research Related Doctors & Specialists

• Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists:
  • Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat)
  • Pediatric Otolaryngology (Child Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist)
  • Otology / Neurotology (Ear/Hearing Specialists)
  • Plastic Surgery within the Head & Neck
• more specialists...»

Other ways to find a doctor, or use doctor, physician and specialist online research services:

• Rate Your Doctor by Taking a Survey Online
• Research Your Doctor
• View Online Patient Surveys from Other Patients of Your Doctor
• Research local doctors and specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Misdiagnosis and FUO

Sinusitis is overdiagnosed: There is a tendency to give a diagnosis of sinusitis, when the condition is really a harmless complication of another infection, such as a common cold....read more »

Whooping cough often undiagnosed: Although most children in the Western world have been immunized against whooping cough (also called "pertussis"), this protection wears off after about 15 years. Thus, any teen or adult with a persistent cough may actually have ...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and FUO

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
• more tests...»

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).
• more questions...»

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.
• more symptoms...»

See Diagnosis Checklist for FUO (15 listings)

Home Diagnostic Testing and FUO

Home medical tests possibly related to FUO:

• Cold & Flu: Home Testing:
  • Home Fever Tests
  • Home Ear Infection Test Kits
  • Home Flu Tests
  • Home Strep A Tests
• more tests...»

Stories from Users for FUO

Real-life user stories relating to FUO:

• unexplained symptoms!!!
• Unexplained "fever" for a month+, please help!!!
• unexplained experiences
• unexplained
• Fever of Unk. origin 2 years, please help!
• Help! odd symtoms unexplained!
• Unexplained Reocurring Fever
• Unexplained Fever in a nursing mother
• Unexplained fevers
• Unexplained symptoms
• unexplain weightloss
• Unexplained illness
• High FUO- 5 yr. old son: cycles back around
• unexplained symptom, please help
• son symptoms unexplained
• Unexplained Illness???
• unexplained illness
• neurological origin?
• Unexplained symptoms
• Help! unexplained fevers and chest pains

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

• Genitourinary (The urination system) (235)
  • Burning In Penis After Urination. Std/urine Culture = Negative
  • New Onset Foul urine in adult Female,No infect.
  • Constant urge to urinate/urgency-22y/o male
  • Blood in urine (hematuria)
  • I KEEP PEEING AND I DONT KNOW WHY!! Iplease some1 help me
  • More user stories
• Sexual/Reproductive/Gynecological (783)
  • Tingling at the end of penis
  • Bleeding during sex, help!
  • Red dots on penis
  • Prostatitis- Help me please
  • 17, and i want a baby.
  • More user stories
• Integumentary (Skin) (432)
  • Itchy red bumps all over body? Hives?
  • Sensitive Skin to Touch
  • Painful skin and no answers!!!
  • Pinprick red dots, itchy skin, wrongly diagnosed
  • Skin blisters, joint & muscle pain, Photos..
  • More user stories
• Hematologic/Lymphatic (Blood and Lymph) (164)
  • High platelet count
  • Extreme neck pain, swollen lymph node -help
  • Swollen lymph nodes in groin
  • Nipple Discharge
  • Swollen Lymph Node for 2 1/2 months
  • More user stories
• Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Circulation) (333)
  • Chest pain and shortness of breath
  • Purple-blue skin color
  • Palpitations, inner left arm pain
  • Hand numbness
  • Need help with diagnoses
  • More user stories
• Allergic/Immunologic (157)
  • Chronic hives
  • Non-stop itching, no rash
  • Spontaneous flushing and redness of face and body.
  • Swelling & itching
  • Problems with my scalp can anyone help me
  • More user stories
• Gastrointestinal (Food - from entry to exit) (775)
  • Bloating/Distention/Intestinal Gas
  • Intense Abdominal Pain
  • Feels like a baby kicking-not pregnant
  • Help Please! Extreme Abdominal Pain/Gas/Bowel Symptoms ++
  • Explosive Diarrhea after eating
  • More user stories
• ENMT (Ears, Nose, Mouth and Throat) (513)
  • Pain on one side of throat
  • Swelling in roof of mouth
  • Tonsilliths (tonsil stones)
  • Painful white bumps on tongue
  • Please help! Mucus/dark circles/bad breath...
  • More user stories
• Respiratory (Lungs and Breathing) (248)
  • Please help my baby
  • Chest Pain/Pain While Breathing
  • Chlorine/ammonia odor when I breathe
  • Clearing throat cough and breathing difficulties
  • Do I have stage 4 lung cancer?
  • More user stories

Videos for FUO

Patient Surveys for FUO

• Patient Profile Survey
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• Survey about diseases related to your FUO
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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.

• Certain antibiotics
• Sulfa
• Antihistamines
• Barbiturates
  • Phenobarbital
• more causes...»

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:

• Abscess
• AIDS
• Amebiasis
• Blastomycosis
• Brucellosis
• Cancer
• Chronic low-level infection
• more causes...»

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.

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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: