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Pel-Ebstein fever

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A peculiar febrile course that is commonly seen in lymphoma and often associated with Hodgkin’s disease. It is not, however, absolutely pathogonomic for Hodgkin’s disease, but also occurs in neoplasia, for instance lymphosarcoma and reticulocytosarcoma. It is a cyclic fever in which periods of fever lasting from 3 to 10 days are separated by an afebrile period of about the same length. The cycles vary from patient to patient, but are constant in the same patient. The alternating course may continue for months. Sweats usually associated with pyrexia. Weakness and fatigue often out of proportion to extent of disease or anemia; weight loss. Pulse rate usually slightly higher than expected from temperature. If lymph nodes are present, increase in size during febrile episode observed. See more frequently in children than in adults.

Bibliography

  • C. Murchison:
    Case of «Lymphadenoma» of the lymphatic system, etc.
    Transactions of the Pathological Society of London, 1870, 21: 372-389.
  • P. K. Pel:
    Zur Symptomatologie der sogenannten Pseudo-Leukämie.
    Berliner klinische Wochenschrift, 1885, 22: 3-7.
  • W. Ebstein:
    Das chronische Rückfallsfieber, eine neue Infektionskrankheit.
    Berliner klinische Wochenschrift, 1887, 24: 565-568, 837.

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