Abstract
The clinical utility of propionic acid derivatives as an antipyretic agent was examined in the differential diagnosis of fever of undetermined origin in total twelve times of 8 cases with malignant neoplasm (Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia) . Five cases (7 times) had dramatic responses on fever promptly and completely within 12 hours or 24 hours, and sustained lysis of fever was obtained. Moreover, there was no evidence of infection on careful physical examination, negative results of adequate blood, urine and other cultures and no response to the antibiotics. Complete remission and lysis of fever was obtained intensive chemotherapy for neoplasm. These results suggest specific effect of these drugs on neoplastic fever.
In contrast none of 5 cases (5 times) with infectious fever had responses to the same drugs.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory propionic acid derivatives such as naproxen, pranoprofen and ketoprofen had similar antipyrotic property on neoplastic fever. Since such drugs are safe and used only for short-term, they may be of great value in the differential diagnosis of neoplastic fever and infectious fever.
