The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Diphtheria includes the 20 symptoms listed below:
Research symptoms & diagnosis of Diphtheria:
Review medical complications possibly associated with Diphtheria:
Do I have Diphtheria?
Diseases that may be commonly undiagnosed in related medical areas:
Home medical tests related to Diphtheria:
The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Diphtheria includes:
See the full list of 15 alternative diagnoses for Diphtheria
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
More information about symptoms of Diphtheria and related conditions:
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Diphtheria are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Diphtheria.
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
If you've been diagnosed with angina, how often you need to be monitored will depend on the severity of the angina. Tune in to learn more about...
Angina pectoris is the name for a chest pain or discomfort caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart muscle. Learn more about the signs and...
It's inevitable that at some point in your child's life he or she will suffer vomiting and diarrhea. Most often they are nothing to get...
Health insurance is important to everyone, especially people with chronic conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Tune in to...
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Diphtheria.
Most infections go unrecognized, especially in partially immunized individuals. After an incubation period of less than a week, clinical cases of diphtheria characteristically show a thick, patchy, grayish green membrane over the mucous membranes of the pharynx, larynx, tonsils, soft palate, and nose; fever; sore throat; and a rasping cough, hoarseness, and other symptoms similar to croup. Attempts to remove the membrane usually cause bleeding, which is highly characteristic of diphtheria. If this membrane causes airway obstruction (particularly likely in laryngeal diphtheria), symptoms include tachypnea, stridor, possibly cyanosis, suprasternal retractions, and suffocation, if untreated. Adenopathy and cervical swelling can occur. In cutaneous diphtheria, skin lesions resemble impetigo.
Complications include thrombocytopenia, myocarditis, neurologic involvement (primarily affecting motor fibers but possibly also sensory neurons), renal involvement, and pulmonary involvement (bronchopneumonia) due to C. diphtheriae or other superinfecting organisms.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Respiratory diphtheria presents as a sore throat with low-grade fever and an adherent membrane of the tonsils, pharynx, or nose. Neck swelling is usually present in severe disease. Cutaneous diphtheria presents as infected skin lesions which lack a characteristic appearance. (Source: excerpt from Diphtheria: DBMD)
Diphtheria may be mistaken for a severe sore throat. Other symptoms include a low-grade fever and enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. A second form of diphtheria causes sores on the skin that may be painful, red, and swollen. (Source: excerpt from Shots for Safety - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)
When considering symptoms of Diphtheria, it is also important to consider Diphtheria as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Diphtheria may cause:
Incubation period for Diphtheria: 1 to 4 days
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Diphtheria. This signs and symptoms information for Diphtheria has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Diphtheria signs or Diphtheria symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Diphtheria may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Diphtheria symptoms.
What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2009 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved.
