Ciguatera Toxicity Differential Diagnoses

Updated: May 14, 2022
  • Author: Thomas C Arnold, MD, FAAEM, FACMT; Chief Editor: Michael A Miller, MD  more...
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DDx

Diagnostic Considerations

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) induces symptoms in common with the following:

  • Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)
  • Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP)
  • Scombrotoxin fish poisoning
  • Pufferfish poisoning (tetrodotoxin toxicity)
  • Hallucinatory fish poisoning

Patients suffering from NSP or CFP may experience cold allodynia. NSP is caused by consumption of shellfish contaminated by brevetoxins. Although brevetoxins can accumulate in muscles and viscera of finfish, there are as yet no documented cases of NSP after finfish consumption in humans. [3]

Differential Diagnoses