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Infectious-appearing diseases, and infections that present in disquises

C G Wlodaver

    The Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association
    |July 19, 2005
    PubMed

    Insights

    Many non-infectious disorders mimic infections, leading to incorrect diagnoses and antibiotic misuse. This review highlights these infectious-appearing diseases to improve differential diagnosis in infectious disease practice.

    Area of Science:

    • Infectious Diseases
    • Differential Diagnosis
    • Internal Medicine

    Background:

    • Non-infectious conditions can mimic infectious diseases, complicating accurate diagnosis.
    • Infectious diseases may present with symptoms not typically associated with infection.
    • Misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatment, such as unnecessary antibiotic use.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To systematically review and group disorders that present as infections but are not.
    • To discuss infectious diseases that manifest with non-typical symptoms.
    • To emphasize the importance of recognizing these conditions in infectious disease differential diagnosis.

    Main Methods:

    • Literature review of conditions that mimic or are masked by infection.
    • Systematic assembly of case examples and relevant literature.
    • Categorization of disorders based on their presentation relative to infection.

    Main Results:

    • Identified several non-infectious disorders with infectious-like presentations.
    • Highlighted infectious diseases presenting with atypical symptoms.
    • Demonstrated the potential for misdiagnosis and subsequent inappropriate therapy.

    Conclusions:

    • Recognizing infectious-appearing non-infectious diseases is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
    • Atypical presentations of infectious diseases require careful consideration.
    • Improving the differential diagnosis of these conditions can prevent antibiotic misuse and improve patient outcomes.

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