Differential Diagnosis for Diarrhea with Mucous
- Single most likely diagnosis
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): This includes conditions like Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease, which are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and often present with diarrhea, mucous, and sometimes blood in the stool.
- Other Likely diagnoses
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Although IBS is more commonly associated with abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits, some patients may experience diarrhea with mucous.
- Infectious Gastroenteritis: Certain bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections can cause diarrhea with mucous, especially if the infection involves the colon.
- Diverticulitis: Inflammation of the diverticula in the colon can lead to diarrhea, mucous, and sometimes blood in the stool.
- Do Not Miss (ddxs that may not be likely, but would be deadly if missed.)
- Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) Infection: This bacterial infection can cause severe diarrhea, mucous, and potentially life-threatening complications if not treated promptly.
- Colon Cancer: Although less common, colon cancer can present with changes in bowel habits, including diarrhea with mucous, and is critical to diagnose early.
- Intussusception: A condition where a part of the intestine telescopes into another, which can cause bowel obstruction and ischemia, presenting with diarrhea, mucous, and potentially blood.
- Rare diagnoses
- Microscopic Colitis: A condition characterized by inflammation of the colon lining, which can cause chronic diarrhea with mucous.
- Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis: A rare condition involving eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract, which can present with diarrhea, mucous, and abdominal pain.
- Lymphocytic Colitis: Another form of microscopic colitis, which can cause chronic diarrhea with mucous due to lymphocytic infiltration of the colon lining.