Psychogenic fever and palpitations in a patient with autonomic nervous system dysfunction: A case report

Abstract

Mental health disorders are prevalent in cardiovascular disease patients, yet often remain under-recognized. Psychogenic fever (PF), a psychosomatic condition triggered by stress, may present as a fever of unknown origin, complicating the diagnostic process. This case report describes a 58-year-old male diagnosed with PF, a stress-induced psychosomatic disorder associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. The patient presented with a 1-year history of recurrent low-grade fever and palpitations, which remained unexplained despite comprehensive laboratory and imaging evaluations. Psychometric assessments revealed chronic stress, mild depression, and moderate anxiety, suggesting psychological stress as the potential cause of PF. ANS evaluation indicated mild impairment in heart rate variability. The patient’s significant improvement with anti-anxiety and antidepressant treatment confirmed the diagnosis of ANS dysfunction and PF. This case highlights the importance of incorporating psychometric and physio-psychological assessments into the diagnostic workup for unexplained fever, advocating for the consideration of mental health disorders after ruling out organic causes.

Keywords

Psychogenic fever / Autonomic nervous system dysfunction / Cardiology / Psychosomatic disorder / Anxiety / Palpitations

Funding

None.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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