Prolonged fever in infancy and early childhood.

Prolonged fever is defined as an unexplained fever of more than 5 days dura tion. 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. Kawa saki disease is the main inflammatory etiology, juvenile rhumatoid arthriti s in its systemic form (Still's disease) being much rarer. In most cases th e 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.