Misdiagnosis of Chlamydia

Introduction: Misdiagnosis of Chlamydia

Chlamydia was cited by Reader's Digest as one of the top 10 misdiagnosed diseases. Undiagnosed prevalence can be high: 9.51% of female Army recruits had undiagnosed chlamydia in a study by Charlotte Gaydos as reported by Reader's Digest. In the article entitled "10 Diseases Doctors Miss", the 10 diseases mentioned were hepatitis C, lupus, celiac disease, hemochromatosis, aneurysm, Lyme disease, hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), chlamydia, and sleep apnea. ¹

Alternative diagnoses list for Chlamydia:

For a diagnosis of Chlamydia, the following list of conditions have been mentioned in sources as possible alternative diagnoses to consider during the diagnostic process for Chlamydia:

• Gonorrhea
• Vaginal yeast infection
• Bacterial vaginosis
• Trichomoniasis
• Cervical inflammation
• Vaginal allergies
• Spermicide allergies
• Vaginal hygiene product allergies
• Detergent allergies
• Fabric softener allergies
• Genital herpes
• Molluscum contagiosum
• Genital warts
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Other causes of vaginal discharge

Diseases for which Chlamydia may be an alternative diagnosis

The other diseases for which Chlamydia is listed as a possible alternative diagnosis in their lists include:

• Cervicitis
• Genital herpes
• Genital wart
• Gonorrhea
• Interstitial cystitis
• Non-Specific Urethritis
• Urethritis

Discussion of diagnosis/misdiagnosis of Chlamydia:

Chlamydia is easily confused with gonorrhea because the symptoms of both diseases are similar, and because they often occur together. Until recently, the only way to diagnose chlamydia was to take a sample of secretions from a patient’s genital area and culture the organism in special tissue culture in the laboratory. While still the most definitive test, it is expensive and technically difficult. Results can take up to 3 days. More recently, however, several rapid tests that use sophisticated techniques and a dye to detect bacterial proteins have been developed and are a readily available test for chlamydial infection. (Source: excerpt from Chlamydia: NWHIC)

Common Misdiagnoses and Chlamydia

Rare type of breast cancer without a lump: There is a less common form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. Its symptoms can be an inflammation of the breast tissue, such as with a breast rash with redness and warmth, but not necessarily a physical breast lump. This type of breast cancer should be considered as an uncommon possibility for certain types of breast symptoms.

General Misdiagnosis Articles

Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.

• Misdiagnosis Overview
• How Common is Misdiagnosis?
• Over-Diagnosed Diseases
• Under-Diagnosed Diseases
• Types of Misdiagnosis
• Wrong Type Misdiagnosis
• Why Does Misdiagnosis Occur?
• Difficult Diseases to Diagnose
• More premium medical articles ...

About misdiagnosis:

When checking for a misdiagnosis of Chlamydia or confirming a diagnosis of Chlamydia, it is useful to consider what other medical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative conditions relevant to diagnosis. These alternate diagnoses of Chlamydia may already have been considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possible alternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Chlamydia. For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases, see Overview of Misdiagnosis.