Differential Diagnosis for a 10-year-old with Yellow Vomit
- Single most likely diagnosis:
- Gastroenteritis: This is the most common cause of vomiting in children, and the yellow color of the vomit could indicate the presence of bile, which is often seen in gastrointestinal infections.
- Other Likely diagnoses:
- Food poisoning: Similar to gastroenteritis, food poisoning can cause vomiting and the yellow color could be due to bile or the specific type of food consumed.
- Viral gastroenteritis (e.g., norovirus): Highly contagious and common in children, leading to symptoms like vomiting, which can be yellow due to bile.
- Appendicitis: Although less common, appendicitis can cause vomiting, and if the appendix ruptures, the vomit might appear yellow or green due to the presence of bile.
- Do Not Miss diagnoses:
- Intussusception: A serious condition where a part of the intestine slides into another, which can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, and potentially lead to bowel obstruction or ischemia. The vomiting might be yellow or green.
- Pyloric stenosis: A condition where the pylorus (the passage between the stomach and small intestine) narrows, causing projectile vomiting, which might appear yellow due to the presence of bile.
- Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause severe abdominal pain and vomiting. The vomit might be yellow due to bile.
- Rare diagnoses:
- Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, which can cause a range of symptoms including vomiting. The yellow color could be due to jaundice (a sign of liver dysfunction).
- Cholecystitis: Inflammation of the gallbladder, which can cause abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting. The vomit might appear yellow due to bile.
- Liver or pancreatic tumors: Although extremely rare in children, these could potentially cause vomiting among other symptoms, with the yellow color possibly indicating bile or liver dysfunction.