ArticleMolecular and cellular pediatrics2026
Diagnostic value of basic and extended procedures in pediatric fever of unknown origin - results of a nation-wide surveillance study.
Article in Molecular and cellular pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPediatric fever of unknown origin (FUO) remains a major diagnostic challenge encompassing infectious, autoimmune and autoinflammatory as well as malignant diseases. Despite improved diagnostical procedures, no underlying disease can be identified in approximately one third of patients. Current guidelines recommend stepwise diagnostical approaches based on potential diagnostic clues (PDC+). This prospective nation-wide surveillance study aims to evaluate basic and advanced diagnostic procedures in the diagnostic of FUO. METHODS AND
resultsVia the German Pediatric Surveillance Unit, children were pseudonymized enrolled based on the following inclusion criteria: fever ≥ 38.5 °C for at least five out of ten consecutive days and no identifiable cause after standard diagnostic workup. The questionnaire collected patient data, symptoms, performed diagnostic workup, and the final diagnosis, if applicable. Among 113 included children, an underlying disease was identified in 72 cases (63.7%). 26 patients (23.1%) had infections, 31 children (27.4%) had systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis/Still's disease (sJIA/SD), and 15 children (13.3%) were classified as "other diagnoses" including autoinflammatory diseases, vasculitides, and malignancies. Children with sJIA/SD presented with more clinical symptoms (mean = 4.6, SD = 2.17) compared to those with infections (mean = 2.7, SD = 1.40, p=.002). Basic diagnostic workup revealed at least one PDC + in every case (mean = 6.6). Most PDC+ (mean = 3.1, SD = 1.82) were identified by history taking and physical examination as well as by laboratory testing and blood count (mean = 2.5 PDC+, SD = 1.32). A total of 370 basic imaging investigations, e.g. abdominal ultrasound and echocardiography, provided in total 50 PDCs+ demonstrating their high diagnostical yield. Primarily in children with unclear clinical presentation advanced imaging revealed PDC+. Overall, the number of misleading PDCs (PDC-) was low (mean = 1.0, SD = 1.14) with autoantibody testing being the basic diagnostic procedure accounting for the majority of PDC-.
conclusionThe results of this nation-wide surveillance study highlight the value of basic and advanced diagnostical approaches in the management of pediatric FUO. Careful history taking, physical examination, and targeted basic diagnostic testing can identify multiple PDC+ with only few misleading PDC-, which may contribute to diagnostic accuracy and avoid unnecessary testing. The findings can be introduced into guidelines in order to standardize and improve the diagnostic approaches in children with FUO.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.