Well you are not alone. Everyone has missed their zebra in the ED. It feels a little relieving then that Wikipedia has made a list of these diseases that you are about to miss one day. A list of red herrings. Know just a little about the small stuff and you'll have a slight chance of at least thinking of it in your next case of subtle symptoms. The confused patient who turns out to have lupus. Or the atypical parotitis revealing a hidden sarcoidosis. Being a little alert is all you need to do!
From the Wikipedia article:
"The Great Imitator is a phrase used for medical conditions that feature nonspecific symptoms and may be confused with a number of other diseases. Most great imitators are systemic in nature. Diseases sometimes referred to with this name include:
- Fibromyalgia
- Lupus erythematosus
- Multiple sclerosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Infectious diseases
- Syphilis
- Lyme disease
- Nocardiosis
- Tuberculosis
- Celiac disease
- Heavy metal poisoning
- Addison's Disease"
Oh and also check my previous post about non-surgical causes of abdominal pain, highly recommended for emergency physicians scavenging for zebras in the snowfield.
