Biomaterial Database

Liver biopsy in fever of unknown origin. A reappraisal. 1993

T Holtz, and R H Moseley, and J M Scheiman

Department of Internal Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.

We assessed the value of liver biopsy in the diagnosis of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in hospital-based patients by a retrospective analysis of all cases (24 cases) seen at the University of Michigan Medical Center over a 5-year period. Based on the findings of a liver biopsy performed in the course of the evaluation of FUO, patients were divided into two groups: a diagnostic group, in which an abnormal liver biopsy was helpful in determining the cause of the FUO, and a nondiagnostic group, which included those who had either normal biopsy results or abnormal biopsy results that did not lead to a final diagnosis. Four patients (16.7%) had diagnostic liver biopsy results (histoplasmosis in three and tuberculosis in one). Physical findings, such as hepatomegaly, and laboratory data, including routine liver chemistries, were not predictive of a diagnostic liver biopsy. Therefore, despite advances in diagnostic technology since this subject was last reviewed, liver biopsy continues to be useful in the diagnosis of FUO. Furthermore, in endemic or borderline endemic areas, histoplasmosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of FUO, and liver biopsy can be helpful to confirm this diagnosis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008297	Male		Males
D008824	Michigan	State bounded on the north by the Great Lakes, on the east by Canada, on the south by Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio, and on the west by Lake Michigan and Wisconsin.
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D005069	Evaluation Studies as Topic	Works about studies that determine the effectiveness or value of processes, personnel, and equipment, or the material on conducting such studies.	Critique,Evaluation Indexes,Evaluation Methodology,Evaluation Report,Evaluation Research,Methodology, Evaluation,Pre-Post Tests,Qualitative Evaluation,Quantitative Evaluation,Theoretical Effectiveness,Use-Effectiveness,Critiques,Effectiveness, Theoretical,Evaluation Methodologies,Evaluation Reports,Evaluation, Qualitative,Evaluation, Quantitative,Evaluations, Qualitative,Evaluations, Quantitative,Indexes, Evaluation,Methodologies, Evaluation,Pre Post Tests,Pre-Post Test,Qualitative Evaluations,Quantitative Evaluations,Report, Evaluation,Reports, Evaluation,Research, Evaluation,Test, Pre-Post,Tests, Pre-Post,Use Effectiveness
D005260	Female		Females
D005335	Fever of Unknown Origin	Fever in which the etiology cannot be ascertained.	Unknown Origin Fever,Unknown Origin Fevers
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths