Differential Diagnosis for Headache, Abdominal Pain, and Photosensitivity
- Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Migraine: This condition is a common cause of headaches and can be accompanied by abdominal pain and photosensitivity. Migraines often involve sensitivity to light and can have gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Other Likely Diagnoses
- Viral Gastroenteritis: This illness can cause abdominal pain, headache, and in some cases, sensitivity to light, especially if the patient is dehydrated or has a high fever.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Conditions like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis can cause abdominal pain and may be associated with extraintestinal symptoms, including headaches and possibly photosensitivity due to systemic inflammation.
- Porphyria: A group of disorders that can lead to abdominal pain, neurological symptoms (including headaches), and photosensitivity due to the accumulation of porphyrins.
- Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Meningitis: Although less common, meningitis is a critical diagnosis that must be considered, as it can present with headache, fever, and sometimes abdominal pain. Photosensitivity could be related to the severe headache.
- Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A life-threatening condition that typically presents with a sudden, severe headache and could be accompanied by abdominal pain and sensitivity to light due to the severity of the headache.
- Temporal Arteritis: This condition can cause headaches and is more common in older adults. While abdominal pain is not a primary symptom, the condition can lead to systemic symptoms, and photosensitivity might be related to the headache.
- Rare Diagnoses
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): An autoimmune disease that can cause a wide range of symptoms, including headaches, abdominal pain, and photosensitivity due to its systemic nature.
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A group of disorders that affect connective tissues, which can lead to a variety of symptoms, including headaches, abdominal pain, and possibly photosensitivity due to autonomic dysfunction.
- Mitochondrial Disorders: These are a group of conditions that affect the mitochondria and can cause a wide range of symptoms, including headaches, abdominal pain, and possibly photosensitivity due to the systemic effects of mitochondrial dysfunction.