A diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy and its cause may be delayed or missed because peripheral neuropathy generally develops very gradually and people with the condition may be unaware of it. Peripheral neuropathy is a symptom of many different conditions, so a thorough medical evaluation is needed to ensure an accurate diagnosis of the reason for peripheral neuropathy....more about Peripheral neuropathy »
For a diagnosis of Peripheral neuropathy, the following list of conditions have been mentioned in sources as possible alternative diagnoses to consider during the diagnostic process for Peripheral neuropathy:
The other diseases for which Peripheral neuropathy is listed as a possible alternative diagnosis in their lists include:
Causes of Peripheral neuropathy may include these medical conditions:
Related medical mistakes may include:
Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:
Diabetes diagnosis and misdiagnosis (In-Depth Report): Detailed report on diabetes misdiagnoses, rare curable types, and less common diagnostic issues...read full report »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and Peripheral neuropathy
Metabolic syndrome often undiagnosed: Metabolic syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, is an often overlooked medical condition that causes a cluster of chronic symptoms. There are often four symptoms and conditions combined: obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, and diabetes (Type 2 diabetes) or in come cases pre-diabetes initially. See the introduction to metabolic syndrome.
Heart attacks can be undiagnosed: Although the most severe symptoms of heart attack are hard to miss, there are varying degrees of severity. It is altogether too common for people to die from undiagnosed heart attack, or from delaying too long to call for emergency help. The prognosis for treatment is far better for patients treated in the early stages of a heart attack. The most common misdiagnoses include heartburn, or other less severe causes of chest pain. See the introduction to heart attack and the symptoms of heart attack.
Heart attacks can be overdiagnosed: Although many people die from heart attacks, there are also many cases where people fear that they have a heart attack, but actually have something milder. Some of the conditions which may be causes of chest pain, causing fear of a heart attack, including an anxiety attack, heartburn, and so on. See the causes of chest pain and the symptoms of heart attack.
Underactive thryoid may be misdiagnosed as depression: Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is an endocrine gland disorder that is more common in women. It can mimic many diseases, including depression. The patient often has depressive type symptoms, and may also have other symptoms of hypothyroidism such as tingling fingers (peripheral neuropathy), hearing loss, headaches, cold insensitivity, and many other symptms. Common misdiagnoses of hypothyroidism include depression, dementia, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder (esp. rapid-cycling bipolar disorder).
Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present in a variety of different severities. Diseases in this group include multiple sclerosis, lupus, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, thyroid disorders (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism), chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes - all of these can have vague symptoms in their early presentations. Also, depression can have some symptoms similar to these conditions, and also the reverse, that many of these conditions can mimic depression and be misdiagnosed as depression.
Poorly healing leg rashes a classic sign of chronic disease: Recurring leg rashes, or poorly healing leg rashes, are a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes, particularly of Type 2 diabetes, but also Type 1 diabetes. They can also occur with poor diabetic control. However, there are many other possible causes of leg rashes. See causes of leg rash or misdiagnosis of diabetes.
Leg cramps at night a classic sign: The symptom of having leg muscle cramps, particularly at night, is a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes. However, there are also various other causes. See causes of leg cramps or misdiagnosis of diabetes.
Obesity-related conditions undiagnosed in children: A variety of conditions are associated with obesity (see obesity), but these tend to be undiagnosed more often in child patients than in adults. Some of the overlooked conditions may include hypertension, diabetes, acanthosis nigricans, etc. See misdiagnosis of obesity or introduction to obesity.
Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (see symptoms of multiple sclerosis). See symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency or misdiagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
Rare types of medical disorders and diseases in related medical areas:
The following medical news items are relevant to misdiagnosis of Peripheral neuropathy:
Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.
When checking for a misdiagnosis of Peripheral neuropathy or confirming a diagnosis of Peripheral neuropathy, it is useful to consider what other medical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative conditions relevant to diagnosis. These alternate diagnoses of Peripheral neuropathy may already have been considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possible alternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Peripheral neuropathy. For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases, see Overview of Misdiagnosis.
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