An 85-Year-Old Man With Recurrent Fever and Multiple Splenic Infarcts
April 2018
in “
Infectious diseases in clinical practice
”
TLDR Travel history and tick-borne diseases should be considered in unexplained fevers for timely diagnosis and treatment.
An 85-year-old man with a history of benign prostatic hyperplasia, hyperlipidemia, and Guillain-Barré syndrome presented with recurrent fever, chills, and night sweats. Despite initial negative blood cultures and normal imaging, further investigation revealed splenic infarcts and hepatosplenomegaly. The patient was diagnosed with Babesia microti infection after recalling a recent trip to Long Island, where he likely contracted the tick-borne disease. Treatment with azithromycin and atovaquone led to rapid improvement. This case highlighted the importance of detailed travel history and considering babesiosis in patients with unexplained fever and splenic infarcts.
