Brief Report - Pyrexia of Unknown Origin: A Prospective Study of 100 Cases

AIM: There are few studies on PUO from India. The present study was planned to elucidate the causes of pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) in Eastern India and to define the changing patterns of PUO, if any. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective case series. PATIENTS: One hundred patients meeting the classic criteria of pyrexia of unknown origin. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: The final diagnosis established at discharge or during follow up. RESULTS: Infections, especially tuberculosis was the most dominant cause (53%), followed by neoplasms (17%), and collagen vascular disorders (11%), Miscellaneous causes were responsible in 5% cases and in 14% the cause of fever remained undiagnosed. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that infections remain the most important cause of PUO in India, confirming the trends found earlier in other studies. The incidence of neoplasms was much higher compared to other studies from India.

Keywords
Pyrexia of unknown origin, Neoplasm, Collagen vascular diseases, Infections, Tuberculosis, Abscesses