Also known as: Brain malaria
Fletcher Stone, a famous journalist, presents with aphasia after a fall at his retirement party. His symptoms progress to include pulmonary edema, kidney failure, and fever. The team struggles to diagnose him while House is away, eventually discovering he contracted cerebral malaria during secret travel to South America for experimental psychiatric surgery.
Also known as: Manic depression
Fletcher Stone has been secretly managing bipolar disorder for years using alcohol and various medications. His condition explains his risk-taking journalism career and becomes central to understanding why he traveled abroad for experimental brain surgery, which he kept hidden from his wife.
Also known as: Speech disorder
Fletcher presents with severe aphasia where he substitutes wrong words without realizing it (saying 'I flung the investment' when meaning something else). This becomes the primary presenting symptom that drives the diagnostic mystery and significantly hampers the team's ability to gather medical history.
Also known as: Fluid in the lungs
Fletcher develops fluid in his lungs during his hospital stay, causing his oxygen levels to drop and requiring intubation. This complication initially misleads the team toward drug-related causes.
Also known as: Kidney failure
Fletcher's kidneys begin to fail, causing elevated creatinine levels and metallic taste. Cameron places him on dialysis to stabilize him while the team continues searching for the underlying cause.