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Diseases » Rheumatoid arthritis » Misdiagnosis
 

Misdiagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis

Contents
  1. Rheumatoid arthritis: Introduction
  2. Alternative Diagnoses List
  3. Possible Misdiagnoses
  4. Common Misdiagnoses
  5. Rare Types
  6. Curable Types
  7. Discussion of Misdiagnosis
  8. News about Misdiagnosis
  9. Misdiagnosis Center
  10. Rheumatoid arthritis: Introduction
  11. Symptoms: Rheumatoid arthritis
  12. Treatments
  13. Tests

Alternative diagnoses list for Rheumatoid arthritis:

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

Diseases for which Rheumatoid arthritis may be an alternative diagnosis

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

Rare Types of Rheumatoid arthritis:

Rheumatoid arthritis Diagnosis: Book Excerpts

Rheumatoid arthritis: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:

Discussion of diagnosis/misdiagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis:

The doctor confirms the diagnosis of sarcoidosis by eliminating other diseases with similar features. These include such granulomatous diseases as berylliosis (a disease resulting from exposure to beryllium metal), tuberculosis, farmer's lung disease (hypersensitivity pneumonitis), fungal infections, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever, and cancer of the lymph nodes (lymphoma). (Source: excerpt from NHLBI, Sarcoidosis: NHLBI)

Common Misdiagnoses and Rheumatoid arthritis

Rare undiagnosed iron disorder causes various severe conditions: The rare "iron overload" disorder, hemochromatosis, can cause a variety of symptoms and result in various severe conditions that mimic several of the big name medical conditions. However, since it is quite rare (about 1 in 200 to 1 in 300), it may go undiagnosed, and indeed doctors may not even test for it. It can damage the pancreas, causing pancreatitis, leading to diabetes-like symptoms. It can damage the liver, leading to liver symptoms such as jaundice. Hemochromoatis can also damage the joints, giving the appearance of arthritis. The heart is another organ that excess iron can damage. Fortunately, this condition has a relatively simple treatment, and these complications can often be reversed by treatment of the iron overload causing them. See introduction to hemochromatosis.

Psoriatic arthritis often undiagnosed cause of joint conditions: Patients with the skin condition psoriasis can also have the related arthritis subtype called "psoriatic arthritis". This arthritic condition tends to be overlooked, even in patients with diagnosed psoriasis. See misdiagnosis of arthritis or psoriasis.

Adhesive capsulitis: Adhesive capsulitis is an acute inflammation affecting the gleno humeral joint which becomes fibrotic and contracted. It can arise spontaneously or after an injury. It is usually misdiagnosed as monoarticular rheumatoid arthritis, crystal arthropathy like gout and septic arthritis. The condition is generally worse in diabetics. The patient presents pain around the shoulder and outer border of the arm and radiates to the elbow. It is aggravated on activity. The condition can be diagnosed on high resolution ultrasound.

Medical news summaries about misdiagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis:

The following medical news items are relevant to misdiagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis:

General Misdiagnosis Articles

Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.

About misdiagnosis:

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


 » Next page: Undiagnosed Rheumatoid arthritis

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