eMedicine Specialties > Psychiatry > Adult

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Differential Diagnoses & Workup

Author: William M Greenberg, MD, Associate Director, Clinical Development, Forest Research Institute, Forest Laboratories, Inc; Visiting Scientist, Nathan S Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research; Private Practice
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: May 31, 2009

Differential Diagnoses

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Huntington Disease Dementia
Anorexia Nervosa
Mental Retardation
Anxiety Disorders
Panic Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Phobic Disorders
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Bulimia
Rheumatic Fever
Cocaine-Related Psychiatric Disorders
Schizophrenia
Dementia Due to Head Trauma
Social Phobia
Depression
Somatoform Disorders
Hallucinogens
Tourette Syndrome

Other Problems to Be Considered

Bipolar disorder (Manic-depressive illness)

Workup

Imaging Studies

Functional MRI and PET scanning have shown increases in blood flow and metabolic activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, limbic structures, caudate, and thalamus, with a trend toward right-sided predominance. In some studies, these areas of overactivity have been shown to normalize following successful treatment with either SSRIs or CBT.8 These imaging modalities, however, are of value for research, and not indicated for normal workups.

More on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Overview: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Treatment & Medication: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Follow-up: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessions, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder treatment, symptoms, cognitive-behavioral therapy, CBT, anxiety, behavior therapy, exposure and response prevention

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

William M Greenberg, MD, Associate Director, Clinical Development, Forest Research Institute, Forest Laboratories, Inc; Visiting Scientist, Nathan S Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research; Private Practice
William M Greenberg, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Orthopsychiatric Association and American Psychiatric Association
Disclosure: Forest Laboratories, Inc. Salary Employment

Medical Editor

Mohammed A Memon, MD, Medical Director of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Spartanburg Regional Hospital System
Mohammed A Memon, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, American Medical Association, and American Psychiatric Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

David Bienenfeld, MD, Vice-Chair, Program Director, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Wright State University School of Medicine
David Bienenfeld, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and Association for Academic Psychiatry
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Harold H Harsch, MD, Program Director of Geropsychiatry, Department of Geriatrics/Gerontology, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Department of Medicine, Froedtert Hospital, Medical College of Wisconsin
Harold H Harsch, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Psychiatric Association
Disclosure: lilly Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Forest Labs Honoraria Speaking and teaching; AstraZeneca Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Pfizer Grant/research funds Speaking and teaching; Northstar Grant/research funds Research; Novartis Grant/research funds research; Pfizer  Speaking and teaching; Sanofi-avetis Grant/research funds research; Otsuke Grant/research funds reseach; GlaxoSmithKline Grant/research funds research

Chief Editor

Stephen Soreff, MD, President of Education Initiatives, Nottingham, NH; Faculty, Metropolitan College of Boston University, Boston, MA
Stephen Soreff, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Mental Health Administration and American Psychosomatic Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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