Top Ten Hard to Diagnose Diseases

Published on June 1, 2024

Failure to diagnose and delayed diagnosis are two of the most common causes of medical malpractice claims. When a doctor fails to diagnose a serious medical condition, the results can be worsened disease condition, injury, and death. Some diseases are difficult for clinicians to diagnose because they are rare, while others may mimic more common conditions. In some patients, common serious illnesses may present in an unusual or atypical way, making an accurate diagnosis more challenging. In such cases, seeking the assistance of a Phoenix failure to diagnose attorney is essential.

The following serious medical conditions are among the top ten most difficult diseases to diagnose.

1. Sepsis

Sepsis is an onslaught of the body’s natural reaction to serious infection. While the body sends a cascade of anti-inflammatory chemicals to counteract the infection, it also sometimes attacks the healthy cells in critical organs. When left unchecked, sepsis causes organ failure and leads to death. Sepsis symptoms can mimic viral illnesses and other medical conditions. Medical providers may fail to accurately diagnose sepsis when the site of the original infection isn’t clear.

2. Pulmonary Embolus

A pulmonary embolism is a sudden blockage in the major arteries to the lungs. This occurs most frequently after surgery either in a hospital setting during recovery or after a patient is discharged. A pulmonary embolus may mimic other medical conditions such as pneumonia, seizure, or heart attack.

3. Appendicitis

Although not uncommon, appendicitis is a difficult condition to diagnose promptly, with symptoms that mimic common viral illnesses or food poisoning. Appendicitis presents with upset stomach, diarrhea or constipation, abdominal pain around the belly button, and fever. An appropriate physical exam and a CT scan are necessary to accurately diagnose appendicitis.

4. Compartment Syndrome

Compartment syndrome occurs most often in the arms and legs. When missed, it can lead to a required amputation. In compartment syndrome, a high level of pressure occurs in a body compartment due to inflammation from another injury, typically a bone fracture. The pressure causes an interruption in oxygen flow to the area, resulting in cell death. Compartment syndrome may be difficult to diagnose because the extremity is often wrapped or in a medical device, and the patient’s pain is easily attributed to the original injury.

5. Post-Procedure Bowel Perforation or Injury

After an abdominal surgical procedure, medical professionals may fail to accurately diagnose a surgical injury to the patient’s bowel. Injuries or perforation to the bowel sometimes occur from sharp surgical instruments or hot cauterization tools. Because the patient may already experience pain and disrupted bowel function from their initial surgery, care providers and doctors may miss the signs of a bowel injury such as fever, persistent nausea and vomiting, and a higher-than-usual pain level.

6. Lyme Disease

Deer ticks carry a specific bacteria they transmit to a victim after a bite. Infection with this bacteria causes Lyme disease. If the typical bullseye rash around the bite area goes unnoticed, the condition is difficult to diagnose later. Symptoms include dizziness, joint pain, fatigue, and headache, all vague indicators that mimic other conditions.

7. Necrotizing Fasciitis

This rare skin infection destroys the tissue under the skin (the fascial plane) and spreads quickly. The bacteria enter the skin through an existing wound or scratch and then rapidly cause cell death, destroying the skin, fat, and muscle unless medical providers promptly and aggressively address the condition with IV antibiotics and debridement of the damaged tissue. Because the initial symptoms mimic ordinary cellulitis, doctors may not immediately recognize necrotizing fasciitis without pathology tests. Once the disease takes hold it’s much more evident and easy to diagnose but by that time the damage can be extensive and the infection can lead to amputation or death.

8. Cancer

Stunningly, an estimated 28% of cancers are missed by doctors on the first attempt at diagnosis. Cancer is difficult to recognize in its early stages without proper imaging tests and cell pathology results. The onset of symptoms in most types of cancer can be vague and mimic other conditions.

Depending on the type of cancer, the disease could worsen and spread slowly or rapidly. Any delay in diagnosing cancer is serious.

9. Vascular Pathology in the Neck

When the blood flow in the neck is disrupted by an embolism, trauma, or dissection, it can cause a deadly lack of oxygen to the brain. Unfortunately, the early symptoms can be vague, including headache, dizziness, or altered mental status, all attributable to other medical conditions.

10. Ischemic Intestine

Ischemic intestine or ischemic bowel occurs when there is a disruption to the blood supply to a section of the bowel. It’s more common in elderly individuals, making it easy to miss when it presents in younger patients. Ischemic bowel can result from a blocked artery from an embolism, narrowed blood vessels, or very low blood pressure. The symptoms mimic viral stomach upset with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. It may also cause bloody stool in the later stages, resulting in delayed diagnosis.

Any of the above medical conditions may rapidly worsen and cause life-altering injury or death due to missed or delayed diagnosis. These conditions are prominent in medical liability cases, and it’s crucial to seek the expertise of an experienced Arizona medical malpractice lawyer.