Differential Diagnosis – “W – Z”

WEAKNESS, ACUTE, EMERGENT

Demyelinating disorders (Guillain-Barré, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy [CIDP]).

Myasthenia gravis.

Infectious (poliomyelitis, diphtheria).

Toxic (botulism, tick paralysis, paralytic shellfish toxin, puffer fish, newts).

Metabolic (acquired or familial hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia,   hypermagnesemia).

Metal poisoning (arsenic, thallium).

Porphyria

WEAKNESS, GRADUAL ONSET
  • Depression.
  • Malingering. Anemia.
  • Hypothyroidism.
  • Medications (e.g., sedatives, antidepressants, narcotics).
  • CHF.
  • Renal failure.
  • Liver failure.
  • Respiratory insufficiency.
  • Alcoholism.
  • Nutritional deficiencies.
  • Disorders of motor unit.
  • Basal ganglia disorders.
  • Upper motor neuron lesions.
WEAKNESS, NONNEUROMUSCULAR CAUSES
  • Anxiety disorder.
  • Infectious process.
  • Anemia.
  • Renal insufficiency.
  • Hyperventilation.
  • Malignancy.
  • Hypothyroidism.
  • Hypotension.
  • Hypercapnia.
  • Hypoglycemia.
  • Cardiac arrhythmias.
  • Hepatic insufficiency.
  • Electrolyte imbalance.
  • Malnutrition.
  • Cerebrovascular  insufficiency.
WEIGHT GAIN
  • Sedentary lifestyle.
  • Fluid overload.
  • Discontinuation of tobacco abuse.
  • Endocrine disorders (hypothyroidism, hyperinsulinism associated with maturity-onset DM, Cushing’s syndrome, hypogonadism, insulinoma, hyperprolactinemia, acromegaly).
  • Medications (nutritional supplements, oral contraceptives, glucocorticoids, etc.).
  • Anxiety disorders with compulsive eating.
  • Laurence-Moon-Biedl syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, other congenital diseases.
  • Hypothalamic injury (rare; <100 cases reported in medical literature).
WEIGHT LOSS
  • Malignancy.
  • Psychiatric disorders (depression, anorexia nervosa).
  • New-onset DM.
  • Malabsorption.
  • COPD.
  • AIDS.
  • Uremia, liver disease.
  • Thyrotoxicosis, pheochromocytoma, carcinoid syndrome.
  • Addison’s disease. Intestinal parasites. Peptic ulcer disease.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Food faddism.
  • Postgastrectomy  syndrome
WHEEZING
  • Asthma.
  • COPD.
  • Interstitial lung disease.
  • Infections (pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, epiglottitis).
  • Cardiac asthma.
  • GERD with aspiration.
  • Foreign body aspiration.
  • Pulmonary embolism.
  • Anaphylaxis.
  • Obstruction of airway (neoplasm, goiter, edema or hemorrhage from trauma, aneurysm, congenital abnormalities, strictures, spasm).
  • Carcinoid  syndrome
WHEEZING, PEDIATRIC AGE

Reactive airways disease.

Atopic asthma.

Infection-associated airway reactivity.

Exercise-induced  asthma.

Salicylate-induced asthma and nasal polyposis.

Asthmatic bronchitis.

Other hypersensitivity reactions:

  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
  • Tropical  eosinophilia.
  • Visceral larva migrans.
  • Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

Aspiration:

  • Foreign body.
  • Food, saliva, gastric contents.
  • Laryngotracheoesophageal cleft.
  • Tracheoesophageal  fistula, H-type.
  • Pharyngeal incoordination or neuromuscular weakness.

Cystic fibrosis.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia. Cardiac failure.

Bronchiolitis obliterans.

Extrinsic compression of airways:

  • Vascular ring.
  • Enlarged lymph node.
  • Mediastinal tumor.
  • Lung cysts.

Tracheobronchomalacia.

Endobronchial masses.

Gastroesophageal reflux.

Pulmonary  hemosiderosis.

Sequelae of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

“Hysterical” glottic closure.

Cigarette smoke, other environmental insults

WRIST AND HAND PAIN, IN DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

Childhood (2-10 yr)

Intraarticular

  • Infection.

Periarticular

  • Fracture.
  • Osteomyelitis.

Adolescence (10-18 yr)

Intraarticular

  • Infection.

Periarticular

  • Trauma.
  • Osteomyelitis.
  • Tumors.
  • Ganglion.
  • Idiopathic wrist pain.

Early Adulthood (18-30 yr)

Intraarticular

  • Inflammatory arthritis.
  • Infection.
  • Osteoarthritis.

Periarticular

  • Peripheral nerve entrapment.
  • Tendonitis.

Referred

  • Cervical.

Adulthood (30-50 yr)

Intraarticular

  • Inflammatory arthritis.
  • Infection.
  • Osteoarthritis.

Periarticular

  • Peripheral nerve entrapment.
  • Tendonitis.

Referred

  • Cervical.
  • Chest.
  • Cardiac.

Old age (>50 yr)

Intraarticular

  • Inflammatory arthritis.
  • Osteoarthritis.

Periarticular

  • Peripheral nerve entrapment.
  • Tendonitis.

Referred

  • Cervical.
  • Chest.
  • Cardiac.
WRIST PAIN

MECHANICAL

  • Osteoarthritis.
  • Ligament tear.
  • Fracture
  • Ganglion.
  • De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
  • Avascular necrosis (scaphoid, lunate).
  • Nonunion of scaphoid or lunate.
  • Neoplasm.

METABOLIC

  • Pregnancy.
  • Diabetes.
  • Gout.
  • Pseudogout.
  • Paget’s disease.
  • Acromegaly.
  • Hypothyroidism.
  • Hyperparathyroidism.

INFECTIOUS

  • Osteomyelitis.
  • Septic arthritis.
  • Cat-scratch disease.
  • Tick bite (Lyme disease, babesiosis).
  • Tuberculosis.

NEUROLOGIC

  • Peripheral neuropathy.
  • Nerve injury (median, ulnar, radial nerve).
  • Thoracic outlet compression syndrome.
  • Distal posterior interosseous nerve syndrome.

RHEUMATOLOGIC

  • Psoriasis.
  • RA.
  • SLE, mixed connective tissue disorder (MCTD).
  • Scleroderma.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Granulomatous (sarcoidosis).
  • Amyloidosis.
  • Multiple myeloma.
  • Leukemia.
XEROPHTHALMIA

MEDICATIONS

  • Tricyclic antidepressants: amitriptyline (Elavil), doxepin (Sinequan).
  • Antihistamines: diphenhydramine (Benadryl), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), promethazine (Phenergan), and many cold and decongestant  preparations.
  • Anticholinergic agents: antiemetics such as scopolamine, antispasmodic agents such as oxybutynin chloride (Ditropan).

ABNORMALITIES OF EYELID FUNCTION

  • Neuromuscular disorders.
  • Aging.
  • Thyrotoxicosis.

ABNORMALITIES OF TEAR PRODUCTION

  • Hypovitaminosis A.
  • Stevens-Johnson  syndrome.
  • Familial diseases affecting sebaceous secretions.

ABNORMALITIES OF CORNEAL SURFACES

  • Scarring from past injuries and herpes simplex infection.
XEROSTOMIA

MEDICATIONS

  • Tricyclic antidepressants: amitriptyline (Elavil), doxepin (Sinequan).
  • Antihistamines: diphenhydramine (Benadryl), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), promethazine (Phenergan), and many cold and decongestant  preparations.
  • Anticholinergic agents: antiemetics such as scopolamine, antispasmodic agents such as oxybutynin chloride (Ditropan).

DEHYDRATION

  • Debility.
  • Fever.

POLYURIA

  • Alcohol intake.
  • Arrhythmia.
  • Diabetes.

PREVIOUS HEAD AND NECK IRRADIATION SYSTEMIC DISEASES

  • Sjögren’s syndrome.
  • Sarcoidosis.
  • Amyloidosis.
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
  • Graft-versus-host  disease
YELLOW URINE
  • Normal coloration.
  • Concentrated  urine.
  • Use of multivitamin supplements.
  • Diet rich in carrots.
  • Use of Cascara.
  • Urinary tract infection