Fever of unknown origin: review of 86 patients treated in community hospitals.

This study describes the clinical features of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in 86 patients in a community setting from 1984 to 1990. Infectious diseases remain the most common category of illnesses causing FUO; in this study, infectious diseases including recently described diseases--such as AIDS (three cases) and Lyme disease (one case)--caused FUO in 28 patients. Although percutaneous computed tomography-guided procedures were useful for obtaining diagnostic specimens (15 cases), a noninvasive approach established the diagnosis in many instances (37 cases). In all but nine cases, diagnostic testing was guided by abnormalities detected during the physical examination or routine laboratory tests.