Sandbox: differentialdx maria

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Differential Diagnosis Similar Features Differentiating Features
Cardiac tamponade Elevated jugular venous pressure, reduced diastolic filling of the right ventricle, and hypotension. In cardiac tamponade, differentiating features include: muffled heart sounds, pericardial rub, and electrocardiographic changes.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Elevated jugular venous pulse (JVP), shortness of breath, and tachypnea. In cardiac tamponade, differentiating features include: history of chronic bronchitis, coarse crackles with inspiration, and spirometry with FEV1/FVC < 70%.
Mediastinitis Elevated venous pressure, tachypnea and shortness of breath. In mediastinitis, differentiating features include: fever, positive confirmation of organisms and elevated leukocytes.
Pneumonia Hypotension, tachypnea,cough, and chest pain. In pneumonia, differentiating features include: Bronchial breath sounds, leukocytosis with left shift, positive blood culture and altered laboratory findings (procalitonin).
Acute respiratory distress syndrome Low blood pressure,hypotension, and shortness of breath. In cardiac acute respiratory distress syndrome, differentiating features include: acute onset, bilateral infiltrates on chest radiograph sparing costophrenic angles and pulmonary wedge pressure < 18 mmHg.
Syphilis Enlarged lymph nodes, hypotension and dysphagia. In syphilis, differentiating features include: Positive treponemal tests, history of unprotected sex, and superficial mucosal patches.


Differential Diagnosis Similar Features Differentiating Features
Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
  • Familial inheritance, increased risk of colorectal cancer, extra-colonic tumors.
  • Autosomal recessive, 100+ polyps and age under 40, centinel tumors are differently located than HNPCC, such as: Osteomas, dental anomalies, congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE)
Juvenile polyposis
  • Familial inheritance, autosomal dominant, high risk of GI and non GI cancer, also a germline mutation.
  • Gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyps, on physical exam lip pigmentation is common.
Cowden syndrome
  • Rare autosomal dominant inherited disorder, increased risk of colorectal cancer, also has gene mutations.
  • Intestinal hamartomatous polyps, physical exam may show macrocephaly, gene affected PTEN.