Differential Diagnosis for Stomach Ache and Fever in a Teenager
Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Viral Gastroenteritis: This is the most common cause of stomach ache and fever in teenagers, often due to norovirus or rotavirus, and typically presents with diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
Other Likely Diagnoses
- Appendicitis: A common cause of abdominal pain in teenagers, which can start as a generalized stomach ache and then localize to the right lower quadrant, often accompanied by fever, nausea, and vomiting.
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): Can cause abdominal pain, fever, and dysuria, especially in female teenagers.
- Food Poisoning: Similar to viral gastroenteritis, but usually has a more sudden onset and is related to consuming contaminated food or water.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Conditions like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis can cause chronic abdominal pain, fever, and changes in bowel habits.
Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Pneumonia: Abdominal pain can be a referred pain from a lower lobe pneumonia, especially if the pain is localized to the upper abdomen.
- Ectopic Pregnancy: Although less common in teenagers, it's crucial to consider in sexually active females, as it can present with abdominal pain and fever.
- Intussusception: A condition where a part of the intestine telescopes into another, causing severe abdominal pain, fever, and potentially bloody stools.
- Perforated Viscus: A hole in the wall of the stomach or intestine, which can lead to peritonitis, a life-threatening condition requiring immediate surgical intervention.
Rare Diagnoses
- Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, which can cause abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice.
- Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause severe abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting.
- Mesenteric Lymphadenitis: Inflammation of the lymph nodes in the mesentery, which can mimic appendicitis.
- Abdominal Migraine: A condition that causes recurrent episodes of abdominal pain, often accompanied by other migraine symptoms like headache and nausea.