Summary
Differentials
Common
- Tuberculosis
- Abdominal or pelvic abscess
- HIV
- Rhinosinusitis, acute or chronic
- Bacterial pneumonia
- Urinary tract infection
Uncommon
- Infective endocarditis
- Dental abscesses
- Osteomyelitis
- Prostatitis, acute or chronic
- Cytomegalovirus infection
- Epstein-Barr virus infection
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Rheumatic fever
- Lyme disease
- Chronic myeloid leukemia
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Metastatic carcinoma, primary unknown
- Renal cancer
- Myelodysplastic syndrome
- Adult-onset Still disease
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
- Giant cell arteritis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Crohn disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Reactive arthritis
- Drug-induced fever
- Cirrhosis, complicated
- Hepatitis
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Periodic fever syndromes
- Malaria
- Typhoid fever
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Ascariasis
- Tularemia
- Brucellosis
- Psittacosis
- Q fever
- Pheochromocytoma
- Hyperthyroidism
- Munchausen syndrome
- Dengue fever
Contributors
Authors
William F. Wright, DO, MPH
Assistant Professor
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore
MD
Disclosures
WFW declares that he has no competing interests. WFW is an author of references cited in this topic.
Paul G. Auwaerter,, MD
Professor
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine
The Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher Center for Environmental Infectious Diseases
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore
MD
Disclosures
PGA declares that he has no competing interests. PGA is an author of references cited in this topic.
Acknowledgements
Dr William F. Wright and Dr Paul G. Auwaerter would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Roth and Dr Basello, previous contributors to this topic.
Peer reviewers
Kevin P. High, MD, MS, MACP, FIDSA
Professor of Medicine
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Vice Chief Academic Officer, aLHS, Advocate Health
Winston-Salem
NC
Disclosures
KPH declares that he has no competing interests.
References
Key articles
Haidar G, Singh N. Fever of unknown origin. N Engl J Med. 2022 Feb 3;386(5):463-77. Abstract
Cunha BA, Lortholary O, Cunha CB. Fever of unknown origin: a clinical approach. Am J Med. 2015 Oct;128(10):1138.e1-1138.e15.Full text Abstract
Wright WF, Auwaerter PG. Fever and fever of unknown origin: review, recent advances, and lingering dogma. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 May;7(5):ofaa132.Full text Abstract
Reference articles
A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
Use of this content is subject to our disclaimer