differential diagnosis of anthrax

Differential diagnosis: Causative organism(s) in parentheses 1) cutaneous anthrax a) ecthyma gangrenosum (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) b) rat-bite fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis, Spirillium minor) c) ulceroglandular tularemia (Francisella tularensis) d) plague (Yersinia pestis) e) glanders (Pseudomonas pseudomallei) f) rickettsialpox (Rickettsia akari) g) Orf (parapoxvirus) h) Staphylococcal lymphadenitis (Staphylococcus aureus) i) cutaneous tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) j) leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae) k) Buruli ulcer (Mycobacterium ulcerans) 2) gastrointestinal anthrax a) typhoid (Salmonella typhi) b) intestinal tularemia (Francisella tularensis) c) acute gastroenteritis d) peritonitis e) mechanical intestinal obstruction f) peptic or duodenal ulcer 3) inhalation anthrax a) acute bacterial mediastinitis b) Mycoplasmal pneumonia (Mycoplasma pneumoniae) c) Legionnaire's disease (Legionella pneumophila) d) psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci) e) tularemia (Francisella tularensis) f) Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) g) viral pneumonia (influenza virus, hantavirus, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, cytomegalovirus, varicella- zoster virus) h) histoplasmosis, fibrous mediastinitis (Histoplasma capsulatum) i) coccidioidomycosis (Coccidioides immitis) j) ruptured aortic aneurysm k) superior vena cava syndrome l) silicosis m) sarcoidosis 4) meningeal anthrax a) subarachnoid hemorrhage b) bacterial meningitis c) aseptic meningitis

References

Dixon et al, NEJM 341:815, 1999