Differential diagnostic search in dermatologic practice and its effect on quality of medical care: Clinical cases

Abstract

Introduction. A differential diagnostic search is a crucial method for making a final clinical diagnosis. Lack of clinical thinking leads to tactical errors, both in making a diagnosis and in choosing a therapy algorithm. The problem of iatrogeneses especially often arises at the initial stages of patient management.Case descriptions. The paper demonstrates the difficulties of verifying the diagnosis of patients with dermatological pathology on the example of clinical cases. The stages of differential diagnostic search are covered in detail. Practicing physicians stress the importance of timely correct diagnosis and, consequently, the choice of therapy. The study involved a detailed analysis of clinical cases and mistakes causing a delay in diagnosis and wrong choice of therapeutic tactics at the outpatient stage. A clinical case with designated diagnosis is presented and analyzed as an illustrative example. Special attention was given to a complex evaluation of subjective, objective and diagnostic data, the significance of analyzing the development of dermatoses.Conclusion. Careful adherence to diagnostic algorithms will avoid iatrogenic errors and thereby improve the quality of medical care and the quality of life of dermatological patients.

Keywords

• cutis verticis gyrata
• tinea capitis
• dissecting cellulitis
• differential diagnostic search