Prolonged fever in infancy and early childhood.

Prolonged fever is defined as an unexplained fever of more than 5 days duration. In infancy and early childhood, it is most often of infectious origin, viral infections being the most frequent Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections, urinary tract infection and otitis media are also commonly involved. Kawasaki disease is the main inflammatory etiology, juvenile rhumatoid arthritis in its systemic form (Still's disease) being much rarer. In most cases the etiological diagnosis can be made with a limited number of laboratory and/or imaging investigations based upon a careful clinical evaluation and an oriented chronological strategy. (C) 1999 Elsevier, Paris.