Cunha Burke A, Durie Nicole, Selbs Elena, Pherez Francisco
Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, New York 11501, USA.
Heart Lung. 2009 Jan-Feb;38(1):83-8. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2008.03.001. Epub 2008 Sep 30.
Fever of unknown origin (FUO) characterizes febrile disorders that are accompanied by prolonged fevers of 101 degrees F or greater for 3 weeks or more that remain undiagnosed after comprehensive inpatient and outpatient diagnostic testing. At the present time, malignancies are the most common cause of FUOs. Among malignant FUOs, lymphomas are the most common. We present the case of a non-Asian young adult man who presented with FUO. He had no peripheral adenopathy or splenomegaly but was found to have anterior/superior mediastinal adenopathy and right paratracheal adenopathy. His diagnostic workup was negative for rheumatic/inflammatory and infectious diseases. Laboratory test results were unremarkable except for a highly elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and highly elevated serum ferritin level. Otherwise unexplained highly elevated serum ferritin levels in patients with FUOs suggest rheumatic and inflammatory disorders, for example, systemic lupus erythematosus flare or malignancy. The findings of mediastinal adenopathy combined with a highly elevated ESR and highly elevated serum ferritin levels indicate lymphoma as the most likely diagnosis. He also had polyclonal gammopathy on serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP). In a patient with FUO, negative blood cultures, and a heart murmur, polyclonal gammopathy on SPEP suggests atrial myxoma. Lymphomas are often associated with elevated alpha(1)/alpha(2) globulins on SPEP. Lymph node biopsy of the mediastinal nodes was negative for lymphoma but did not show characteristic emperiopolesis, pathognomonic of Rosai-Dorfman disease, a benign lymphoproliferative disorder. Rosai-Dorfman disease usually presents with massive bilateral cervical adenopathy but may present with lymph node involvement in other sites, as in this case. In patients with lymphadenopathy and a negative FUO workup, clinicians should consider the possibility of Rosai-Dorfman disease, particularly if accompanied by an otherwise unexplained highly elevated serum ferritin levels and polyclonal gammopathy on SPEP.
不明原因发热(FUO)的特征是发热性疾病伴有持续3周或更长时间的101华氏度或更高的长时间发热,在进行全面的住院和门诊诊断测试后仍未确诊。目前,恶性肿瘤是FUO最常见的原因。在恶性FUO中,淋巴瘤最为常见。我们报告一例非亚洲年轻成年男性出现FUO的病例。他没有外周淋巴结肿大或脾肿大,但发现有前/上纵隔淋巴结肿大和右气管旁淋巴结肿大。他的诊断检查结果显示风湿/炎症性疾病和感染性疾病均为阴性。实验室检查结果除红细胞沉降率和血清铁蛋白水平显著升高外无异常。在FUO患者中,血清铁蛋白水平异常升高且无法用其他原因解释提示存在风湿和炎症性疾病,例如系统性红斑狼疮发作或恶性肿瘤。纵隔淋巴结肿大、红细胞沉降率显著升高和血清铁蛋白水平显著升高的结果表明最可能的诊断是淋巴瘤。他的血清蛋白电泳(SPEP)还显示有多克隆丙种球蛋白病。在FUO、血培养阴性且有心脏杂音的患者中,SPEP显示多克隆丙种球蛋白病提示心房黏液瘤。淋巴瘤通常与SPEP上α(1)/α(2)球蛋白升高有关。纵隔淋巴结活检结果显示淋巴瘤为阴性,但未显示特征性的组织细胞吞噬现象,这是Rosai-Dorfman病(一种良性淋巴增生性疾病)的病理特征。Rosai-Dorfman病通常表现为双侧颈部淋巴结肿大,但也可能累及其他部位的淋巴结,如此病例所示。对于有淋巴结肿大且FUO检查结果为阴性的患者,临床医生应考虑Rosai-Dorfman病的可能性,特别是如果伴有血清铁蛋白水平异常升高且无法用其他原因解释以及SPEP显示多克隆丙种球蛋白病。