Unexplained fever can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose unexplained fever, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Ovarian Cysts | 96% | Confirm |
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma | 26% | Unlikely |
Ulcerative Colitis | 15% | Unlikely |
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis | 3% | Ruled out |
HIV/AIDS | 1% | Ruled out |
Crohn's Disease | 1% | Ruled out |
Lupus (SLE) | 1% | Ruled out |
Polymyalgia Rheumatica | 1% | Ruled out |
How often do you get unexplained fevers?
Possible responses:
→ Never / rarely / don't know→ Occasionally - one or two per year → Frequently - several/many per year |
Fevers can occur due to associated bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.
A less common but more serious constitutional feature of SLE is persistent fever.
Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness.
When an ovarian cyst becomes twisted or ruptures it can cause fever.
In severe acute attacks there may be fever.