Medical Mystery
The Case of the Recurring Fever
By Ariel Bleicher and illustrated by Eleanor Davis UCSF Magazine
An elderly man had symptoms no one could explain – until Amy Berger, MD, PhD, and her team investigated.
Three panel cartoon illustration. Top panel, left, illustration of female doctor in a white coat. Text to the left reads: “An elderly man had symptoms no one could explain – until Amy Berger, MD, PhD, and her team investigated.” Three speech bubbles read: “He kept coming to the hospital with a fever. And each time, other symptoms popped up in different places. No one could find a pattern. His doctors were stymied. So I decided to take the case. I lead the UCSF Molecular Medicine Investigation Unit. We investigate underlying biology to solve tough cases.” Top panel, right side, three illustrations. First illustration is a man’s face with his hand on his head. Text above reads: “Visit 1: Fever and sores. Second illustration is of a man’s torso with a hand holding his stomach. Text above reads: “Fever and diarrhea.” Third illustration is of feet with red welts on legs. Text above reads: “Visit 3: Fever and swelling.” Top panel, right side, bottom, illustration of three scientists (two men and one woman), one looking at DNA under a magnifying glass, one looking at a test tube, and one looking in a microscope. Text below read: “Crack team of physician-scientists and trainees. Middle panel, three illustrations. First illustration is of one female scientist and one male scientist looking at a computer screen with DNA on the monitor. Text above reads: “Clue #1: Testing had revealed a blood-cell mutation.” Two speech bubbles read: “He wasn’t born with this mutation, so he must have acquired it later in life. Acquired mutations often cause cancer – but he doesn’t have cancer.” Second illustration is of a male scientist in front of a computer looking outward. Text above reads: “We dove into the scientific literature and found clue #2.” Speech bubble reads: “Here’s a recent report about children born with similar mutations who also have symptoms like our patient’s.” Third illustration is of a female scientist on a video call with a female researcher. Text above it reads: “We sent the researcher who wrote the report some of the man’s blood.” Two speech bubbles read: “This blood shows patterns of inflammation just like the children’s! So it’s an autoinflammatory disease...caused by his mutation!” Third panel, two illustrations. First is of the elderly man holding a prescription bottle with the words “Anti-inflammatory drug” pointing toward it and a speech bubble that reads: My symptoms are gone!” Second illustration is of a female scientist, Dr. Amy Berger. Speech bubble reads: “Now we’re studying the man’s cells to better understand what went wrong. There may be more patients like him who are searching for answers.”
Illustration of female doctor in a white coat. Text to the left reads: “An elderly man had symptoms no one could explain – until Amy Berger, MD, PhD, and her team investigated.”
Bottom of panel, illustration of Dr. Amy Berger with a speech bubble. Text reads: “He kept coming to the hospital with a fever. And each time, other symptoms popped up in different places. No one could find a pattern. His doctors were stymied. So I decided to take the case.” Top of panel, three illustrations. First illustration is a man’s face with his hand on his head. Text above reads: “Visit 1: Fever and sores. Second illustration is of a man’s torso with a hand holding his stomach. Text above reads: “Fever and diarrhea.” Third illustration is of feet with red welts on legs. Text above reads: “Visit 3: Fever and swelling.”
Bottom of panel, illustration of Amy Berger with a speech bubble. Text reads: “I lead the UCSF Molecular Medicine Investigation Unit. We investigate underlying biology to solve tough cases.” Right side, illustration of three scientists (two men and one woman), one looking at DNA under a magnifying glass, one looking at a test tube, and one looking in a microscope. Text below read: “Crack team of physician-scientists and trainees.”
Middle panel, three illustrations. First illustration is of one female scientist and one male scientist looking at a computer screen with DNA on the monitor. Text above reads: “Clue #1: Testing had revealed a blood-cell mutation.” Two speech bubbles read: “He wasn’t born with this mutation, so he must have acquired it later in life. Acquired mutations often cause cancer – but he doesn’t have cancer.” Second illustration is of a male scientist in front of a computer looking outward. Text above reads: “We dove into the scientific literature and found clue #2.” Speech bubble reads: “Here’s a recent report about children born with similar mutations who also have symptoms like our patient’s.” Third illustration is of a female scientist on a video call with a female researcher. Text above it reads: “We sent the researcher who wrote the report some of the man’s blood.” Two speech bubbles read: “This blood shows patterns of inflammation just like the children’s! So it’s an autoinflammatory disease...caused by his mutation!” Below, two illustrations. First is of the elderly man holding a prescription bottle with the words “Anti-inflammatory drug” pointing toward it and a speech bubble that reads: My symptoms are gone!” Second illustration is of a female scientist, Dr. Amy Berger. Speech bubble reads: “Now we’re studying the man’s cells to better understand what went wrong. There may be more patients like him who are searching for answers.”
