Pneumonia differential diagnosis
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.D. [2]
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Pneumonia Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Pneumonia differential diagnosis |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Pneumonia differential diagnosis |
Differentiating Pneumonia from other Diseases
| Disease | Findings |
|---|---|
| Acute bronchitis | No infiltrates on the CXR. |
| Asthma | Past medical history, no infiltrates on chest X Ray. |
| Bronchiolitis obliterans | Should be suspected in patients with pneumonia who do not respond to antibiotics treatment. |
| Congestive heart failure | Bilateral pulmonary edema, shortness of breath. |
| COPD | Past medical history, no infiltrates on chest X Ray, fever is uncommon |
| Empyema | CXR showing features of pleural effusion, inflammatory markers on thoracocentesis. |
| Endocarditis | Finding of septic pulmonary emboli |
| Gastroesophageal reflux disease | Normal chest X ray, symptoms worsening during night and associated with meals. |
| Lung abscess | CXR showing signs of lung abscess |
| Malignancy | Weight loss, clear sputum. CT scan and biopsy are helpful in ruling out malignancy. |
| Pertussis | Productive cough for weeks, nasopharyngeal aspirate aids in diagnosis. |
| Pulmonary embolus | A high degree of suspicion should be kept for pulmonary embolus. Chest X Ray may be normal. |
| Sinusitis | Sinus tenderness, post nasal drip. |
| Vasculitis | Systemic manifestations of collagen vascular disease may be seen. |