Clinicopathologic manifestations and outcome of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever.

During the peak period of outbreak from July through October, during the year 2000 through 2002, a total of 390 cases of either dengue fever (DF) or dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) were collected from medicine outpatient department (MOPD) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Shahbag, Dhaka to study their clinicopathologic manifestations and management outcome. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Almost all of the patients presented with fever (100%), headache (98.2%), bodyache (97.7%), anorexia (100%) and nausea (100%) and the vast majority had skin rash (78.5%), backache (78.2%) and retro-orbital pain (79.7%). Mean +/-SD of duration of total illness was 7.57 +/- 1.11 days and that of fever and skin rash were 5.40 +/- 0.86 and 3.02 +/- 0.78 days respectively. Mean +/-SD of platelet count was 69643.59 +/- 32043.97/mm3 of blood and that of haematocrit was 41.18 +/- 2.65%. Almost all of the patients (97.7%) developed thrombocytopenia but only 4.1% developed leucopenia at sometime during the course of the disease and anaemia was found in 49.4% of the patients. Both anti-dengue IgG and anti-dengue IgM were positive in 55.1% of patients and either anti-dengue IgG or anti-dengue IgM was positive in 23.6% and 21.3% of patients respectively. Management outcome of the patients was quite satisfactory without any case fatality.