differential diagnosis in children
Last reviewed 01/2018
The differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis in childhood includes:
- mesenteric adenitis - often associated with an upper respiratory tract infection or a sore throat
- Henoch Schonlein purpura
- sickle-cell anaemia
- Meckel's diverticulitis
- cystic fibrosis
- renal tract disorders eg urinary tract infection
- liver and biliary tract disorders such as acute hepatitis or cholecystitis
- pancreatitis:
- pain often in central abdomen
- if there is pain in the right iliac fossa then there will also be pain in the central abdomen
- pneumonia - right lower lobe
- constipation:
- colicky abdominal pain and iliac fossa tenderness
- the patient is afebrile and has a loaded colon
- diabetes mellitus
- infectious mononucleosis
- haemolytic anaemia
- torsion of right testes: if a young child presents with right sided abdominal pain then the testes should always be examined