Dengue fever is a differential diagnosis in patients with fever and abdominal pain in an endemic area
Khanna, S.; Vij, J.C.; Kumar, A.; Singal, D.; Tandon, R.
Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 98(7): 757-760
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-4983 PMID: 15509430 DOI: 10.1179/000349804x3153Document Number: 237265
40 patients who, between August and November 2003 (during a dengue epidemic in New Delhi, Delhi, India), presented at Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute for Liver, Renal and Digestive Disease with fever and abdominal pain were checked for dengue fever (DF). Blood serum from each patient was tested for the presence of IgM antibodies against dengue virus. 20 of the 40 patients were found to have dengue fever (n=10), grade I dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF; n=5) or grade II DHF (n=5). The mean age was 35.5 years (range=20-67 years) and body temperatures on presentation ranged between 38.9 degrees and 40.0 degrees C. Five presented with non-petechial rash and 7 had tender hepatomegaly, hyperbilirubinaemia and elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. Five patients who presented with epigastric pain and elevated amylase and lipase were diagnosed to also have pancreatitis.