Differential diagnosis denotes to a process where a list of potential causes regarding a patient’s condition or disease is made. A differential diagnosis by a physician on a patient is made based on the description of the symptoms, medical tests, a physician’s knowledge of medicine, and additional input (Torrey, 2018). Through the data provided from these sources, a physician makes a list of possible diagnoses that attempt to explain what can be medically wrong with a patient. Therefore, based on the clues and approaches, the physician narrows the list to ascertain the right diagnosis for effective treatment intervention.
Examples of Differential Diagnosis
Congenital, Developmental, and Inherited Disorders
The differential diagnosis may include bronchogenic cyst that is distinguished from the mucocele of BA due to lack of direct connection to the nearby airways that contain mucus stasis. Further, congenital lobar overinflation is in most cases caused by bronchomalacia and extrinsic compression of an airway in rare cases. However, it does not contain significant mucus stasis. Therefore, the differential diagnosis of ELS radiograhically may include CPAM and other big lesions but these lesions are pathologically different from others (Dishop, 2018). On its part, differential diagnosis of ILS consists of acute and organizing pneumonia (when infected) and large cyst CPAM (type 1) especially since about a quarter of big cyst type CPAMs have systematic arterial supply which in few cases have abnormal venous connections. More fundamentally, both conditions present normal bronchial connection to the lung involved in the process (Dishop, 2018).
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Differential Diagnosis for Chest Pain
A heart attack is a common cause of chest pain and the first thing is to check if a patient with a chest pain has a heart attack. Other causes of chest pain are pain in the chest wall, pericarditis, and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Diagnostic tools may include performing electrocardiogram to evaluate electrical impulses in a patient, blood tests to ascertain enzymes linked to a heart attack. Further, a physician also examines a patient’s symptoms like a burning sensation; especially after meals .
References
Dishop, M. K. (2018). Congenital, Developmental, and Inherited Disorders in Pulmonary Pathology (Second Edition).
Torrey, T. (2018 January 14) Differential Diagnosis: What Else Might Your Illness Be? Retrieved from https://www.verywellhealth.com/differential-diagnosis-confirming-your-diagnosis-2615485