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Differential Diagnosis for a 20-year-old Male with Chest Pain and Abnormal Liver Enzymes

Single Most Likely Diagnosis

  • Musculoskeletal Chest Pain with Concurrent Viral Hepatitis: This is a common cause of chest pain in young adults, often related to muscle strain or costochondritis, combined with elevated liver enzymes suggesting a viral hepatitis (e.g., hepatitis A, B, or C) which could explain the AST, ALT, and bilirubin levels.

Other Likely Diagnoses

  • Myocarditis: Inflammation of the heart muscle, which can cause chest pain and elevated liver enzymes due to the systemic nature of the inflammation.
  • Pericarditis: Inflammation of the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, can cause chest pain and may be associated with mild elevations in liver enzymes.
  • Viral Hepatitis with Chest Pain: Certain viral hepatitis infections can cause systemic symptoms including chest pain, alongside the liver enzyme elevations.

Do Not Miss Diagnoses

  • Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS): Although less common in young adults, ACS (including myocardial infarction) must be considered, especially if there are risk factors or symptoms suggestive of cardiac ischemia.
  • Pulmonary Embolism (PE): Can cause chest pain and, although less directly related to liver enzyme elevation, is a critical diagnosis not to miss due to its high mortality rate if untreated.
  • Aortic Dissection: A life-threatening condition that can cause chest pain and may have associated liver enzyme elevations due to the systemic inflammatory response.

Rare Diagnoses

  • Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: A genetic disorder that can cause liver disease and might present with chest pain if there are associated pulmonary symptoms.
  • Wilson's Disease: A rare genetic disorder leading to copper accumulation in the liver and other organs, potentially causing liver enzyme elevations and could have systemic symptoms including chest pain.
  • Autoimmune Hepatitis: Although rare, it can cause significant liver enzyme elevations and might be associated with systemic symptoms including chest pain due to the autoimmune nature of the disease.

Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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