Septic Thrombophlebitis Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Nicholas Connors, MD; Chief Editor: Rick Kulkarni, MD   more...
 
Updated: Mar 22, 2012
 
 

Diagnostic Considerations

The differential diagnosis for peripheral, IVC, and SVC phlebitis includes the following:

  • Cellulitis
  • Deep venous thrombosis

The differential diagnosis for pelvic phlebitis, ovarian phlebitis, and pyelophlebitis includes the following:

  • Septic abortion
  • Acute appendicitis
  • Cholangitis
  • Cholecystitis
  • Intra-abdominal infection
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Postpartum infections

The differential diagnosis for Lemierre disease includes the following:

  • Peritonsillar abscess
  • Pharyngitis
  • Pulmonary embolism

The differential diagnosis for dural vein thrombophlebitis includes the following:

  • Cavernous sinus thrombosis
  • Meningitis
  • Mastoiditis
  • Otitis externa
  • Hemorrhagic stroke
  • Ischemic stroke
  • Sinusitis

Differential Diagnoses

Proceed to Workup
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Nicholas Connors, MD  Resident Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital, University Hospital of Cornell and Columbia

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Juliet D Caldwell, MD  Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College; Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill-Cornell Medical Center; Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Long Island College Hospital

Juliet D Caldwell, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Medicine Residents Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Rick Kulkarni, MD  Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

Additional Contributors

Craig F Feied, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, FACPh Professor of Emergency Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine; General Manager, Microsoft Enterprise Health Solutions Group

Craig F Feied, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Phlebology, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, American Venous Forum, Medical Society of the District of Columbia, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Jonathan A Handler, MD HSG Chief Deployment Architect, Microsoft Corporation, Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medine

Jonathan A Handler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Richard S Krause, MD Senior Clinical Faculty/Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Buffalo State University of New York School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Richard S Krause, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Eddy S Lang, MDCM, CCFP(EM), CSPQ Associate Professor, Senior Researcher, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine; Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Canada

Eddy S Lang, MDCM, CCFP(EM), CSPQ is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Christian Theodosis, MD, MPH Resident Physician, Section of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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