Misdiagnosis of Chlamydia

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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:

Chlamydia Diagnosis: Book Excerpts

Chlamydia: Medical Mistakes

Related medical mistakes may include:

Chlamydia: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:

Women's Reproductive Health: diseases that are commonly undiagnosed:
more undiagnosed conditions...»

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.

Chlamydia: Rare Types

Rare types of medical disorders and diseases in related medical areas:

Women's Reproductive Health -- rare types of diseases:
- Overactive Bladder Syndrome -- Rare Types
- PCOS -- Rare Types
- Chlamydia -- Rare Types
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease -- Rare Types
- Cervical Cancer -- Rare Types
- Breast Cancer -- Rare Types
- Ovarian Cancer -- Rare Types
- Von Willebrand Disease -- Rare Types
- more ...»
Women's General Health: rare types of diseases:
Pregnancy: rare types of diseases:
more rare diseases...»

General Misdiagnosis Articles

Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.

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.

Footnotes:
1. Reader's Digest, February 2004, "10 Diseases Doctors Miss", page 120

» Next page: Undiagnosed Chlamydia

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Misdiagnosis of Chlamydia