Differential Diagnosis for Esophagitis plus Chronic Thrombocytopenia
- Single most likely diagnosis
- HIV infection: This is a common cause of both esophagitis (often due to opportunistic infections like CMV or Candida) and chronic thrombocytopenia (due to the direct effect of the virus on the bone marrow or associated immune thrombocytopenia).
- Other Likely diagnoses
- Autoimmune disorders (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus): These conditions can cause both esophagitis (due to inflammation or medication side effects) and thrombocytopenia (due to immune-mediated platelet destruction).
- Chronic liver disease: Liver cirrhosis can lead to thrombocytopenia (due to splenic sequestration) and esophagitis (due to gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is more common in patients with liver disease).
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): IBD, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, can cause esophagitis and may be associated with thrombocytopenia due to inflammation, malabsorption, or medication side effects.
- Do Not Miss diagnoses
- Leukemia or lymphoma: These malignancies can cause both esophagitis (due to mucosal infiltration or treatment side effects) and thrombocytopenia (due to bone marrow infiltration or chemotherapy).
- Sepsis or severe infection: Certain infections can cause both esophagitis (due to direct invasion or toxin production) and thrombocytopenia (due to consumption or bone marrow suppression).
- Rare diagnoses
- Congenital disorders of platelet function or production (e.g., Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome): These rare conditions can cause chronic thrombocytopenia and may be associated with esophagitis due to bleeding or other complications.
- Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) syndrome: This rare condition can cause esophagitis and may be associated with thrombocytopenia due to chronic bleeding or other mechanisms.