investigations
Last reviewed 01/2018
Investigations include:
- liver function tests often indicate a hepatitis
- chest radiology - lower lobe consolidation often by the 3rd or 4th day; may persist beyond the febrile state
- serodiagnosis is by complement fixation tests:
- fixation to phase I antigen reflects recent acute infection - appear in 7 to 10 days, peak at 20 days, then decline
- high titres to phase I antigen occur in patients with endocarditis and granulomatous hepatitis
- high titres to both phase I and II antigens reflect chronic infection
- liver biopsy:
- may show granulomatous changes with scattered infiltrations of polymorphs, lymphocytes and macrophages
- presence of C. burnetti may be demonstrated by fluorescent antibody