Misdiagnosis of Mesothelioma
Alternative diagnoses list for Mesothelioma:
For a diagnosis of Mesothelioma,
the following list of conditions
have been mentioned in sources
as possible alternative diagnoses
to consider during the diagnostic process for Mesothelioma:
Diseases for which Mesothelioma may be an alternative diagnosis
The other diseases for which Mesothelioma
is listed as a possible alternative
diagnosis in their lists include:
Mesothelioma: Hidden Causes Misdiagnosed?
Causes of Mesothelioma may include these medical conditions:
Rare Types of Mesothelioma:
Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Mesothelioma: Medical Mistakes
Related medical mistakes may include:
Mesothelioma: Undiagnosed Conditions
Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:
Common Misdiagnoses and Mesothelioma
Spitz nevi misdiagnosed as dangerous melanoma skin cancer: One possible misdiagnosis to
consider in lieu of melanoma is spitz nevi.
See melanoma and spitz nevi.
Chronic lung diseases hard to diagnose: Some of the chronic lung diseases
are difficult to diagnose.
Even the well-knowns conditions such as asthma or lung cancer often fail to be diagnosed early.
Some of the chronic lung diseases with diagnostic difficulties
include asthma (perhaps surprisingly), COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, mesothelioma,
smoker's cough, AIDS-related respiratory conditions (see AIDS), chronic pneumonia, and other respiratory diseases.
Rare possibilities include diseases like psittacosis (bird-related lung infection).
See other types of chronic lung diseases.
Mesothelioma: Rare Types
Rare types of medical disorders and diseases in related medical areas:
- Chronic Respiratory Disorders -- Rare Types:
- Women's Reproductive Health -- rare types of diseases:
- more rare diseases...»
Failure To Diagnose Mesothelioma
Failure to diagnose Mesothelioma may be associated with the following:
- Because the types of cell the make up mesotheliomas can vary considerably, pathologists may find it difficult to diagnose the particular type of cancer involved. For example pleural mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed as lung cancer and peritoneal mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed as ovarian cancer
- Mesothelioma is rarely diagnosed in the early stages as symptoms usually have an insidious onset. Symptoms can be rather non-specific (shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss) which can result in further delays in seeking medical advice
- Often mesothelioma is not diagnosed as the symptoms are common to many other harmless conditions
- In some cases, mesothelioma is only diagnosed as the cause of death during autopsy
- Undiagnosed pleural effusion that occurs as a result of mesothelioma may result in a collapsed lung or a pneumothorax
- The symptoms of malignant mesothelioma (fever, weight loss and fatigue) are common to many other cancers which can make diagnosis more difficult
- Mesothelioma is often undiagnosed in patients who have a prior medical history. For example, abdominal pain may be ignored in patients who have had a gallbladder problem or some sort of abdominal surgery
- The fact that mesothelioma can develop up to 60 years after asbestos exposure means that the disease is more difficult to diagnose
Notes On Hidden Causes Of Mesothelioma
The following may be hidden causes of Mesothelioma:
- The main cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Some people are more predisposed to developing mesothelioma than others. For example, some people develop mesothelioma with minimal exposure to asbestos whereas others don't develop mesothelioma even with heavy exposure
- People may accidentally expose themselves to asbestos if the live with a person who is regularly exposed to asbestos. For example, people working with asbestos may bring some of the fibres home in their hair or clothes which mean that other people living in the house are exposed to the asbestos as well
- Rare causes of mesothelioma include exposure to irradiation, intrapleural thorium dioxide and inhalation of erionite and other fibrous silicates
Notes On Wrong Diagnosis Of Mesothelioma
Wrong diagnosis of Mesothelioma may be associated with the following:
- Mesothelioma is often misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the lung and the two conditions are often quite difficult to differentiate
- Mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed as lung cancer because symptoms such as pleural effusion, breathing difficulty, chest pain and coughing are common to both conditions
- Pleural mesothelioma may be wrongly diagnosed as a cancer similar in appearance called pleural adenocarcinoma
- Periotneal mesothelioma often causes abdominal symptoms which may be misdiagnosed as bowel disease
Complications Of Misdiagnosis Of Mesothelioma
The following may be complications of misdiagnosis of Mesothelioma:
- Chest pain, shortness of breath and cough caused by mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed as a respiratory infection
- Chest pain and shortness of breath may be misdiagnosed as heart failure or other heart problems
- The early symptoms of mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed as viral pneumonia
- Shortness of breath or fatigue due to mesothelioma may be attributed to being unfit
- Pleural effusion associated with mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed as pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung infection, drug reaction, asbestosis, congestive heart failure and sarcoidosis. It may also be misdiagnosed as being caused by other cancers such as ovarian cancer, lymphoma, lung cancer and breast cancer
- A dry cough caused by mesothelioma in a person trying to quit smoking may be put down to their attempt to quit
Other Notes On Misdiagnosis Of Mesothelioma
- Mesothelioma can occur in patients who have never been exposed to asbestos to their knowledge
- Smoking is not a risk factor for mesothelioma
- Patients need to inform their doctor of any possible prior exposure to asbestos as the vagueness of initial symptoms often does not alert the doctor to the possibility of mesothelioma unless the are aware of a history of exposure. Anyone who has ever had any exposure, or possible exposure, to asbestosis should inform their health professionals
Medical news summaries about misdiagnosis of Mesothelioma:
The following medical news items
are relevant to misdiagnosis of Mesothelioma:
General Misdiagnosis Articles
Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.
About misdiagnosis:
When checking for a misdiagnosis of Mesothelioma
or confirming a diagnosis of Mesothelioma,
it is useful to consider what other
medical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative
conditions relevant to diagnosis.
These alternate diagnoses of Mesothelioma may already have
been considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possible
alternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Mesothelioma.
For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases,
see Overview of Misdiagnosis.
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