Dumler J S, Walker D H
Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine and Medical Systems, Baltimore.
Dermatol Clin. 1994 Jan;12(1):25-36.
Rickettsial diseases continue to confound physicians because of their usually sporadic occurrence and nonspecific clinical presentation. In past years, diagnosis was confirmed only during convalescence; however, newer, more widely available methods, such as antigen detection and improved in vitro cultivation, have enabled a diagnosis at a time when therapeutic decisions are made. Molecular nucleic acid-based techniques have also expanded the spectrum of etiologic agents and illnesses caused by rickettsiae.
立克次体病因其通常散发且临床表现不具特异性，一直让医生们感到困惑。在过去，只有在恢复期才能确诊；然而，更新的、更易获得的方法，如抗原检测和改进的体外培养技术，使得在做出治疗决策时就能进行诊断。基于分子核酸的技术也拓宽了由立克次体引起的病原体和疾病的范围。
