Question
I am a 32 yr old man. I have been suffering from cylical (every 4 to 6 weeks)undiagnosed fevers the last 12 years. The only test that has come positive is the test for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Can R.A. cause fever of this kind in me? I do have occassional heaviness and discomfort in my right knee, which disappears with application of pain balm. As my R.A. is not clinically significant, my doctor has not started treatment for it. Will my R.A. get progressively worse ? Doctor, is there any permanent cure for R.A.?
Answer
The rheumatoid factor test can be positive in chronic infections such as TB and fungal infections. Thus I would make sure that there is no infection as the cause of your fever. There is a condition called Still’s Disease, a type of RA with systemic symptoms which can cause high spiking fevers. However this is unusual and infection must be rigorously ruled out.
