Differential Diagnosis for Mild Fever with Frontal Headache and Pain in Eyes when Turning from Side to Side
Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Viral conjunctivitis or viral sinusitis: These conditions are common and can cause mild fever, frontal headache, and pain in the eyes, especially when moving them from side to side due to the involvement of the extraocular muscles and the increase in pressure within the sinuses or the orbit.
Other Likely Diagnoses
- Tension headache: Although typically not associated with fever, some cases can present with mild systemic symptoms. The pain in the eyes when turning could be due to referred pain from tense neck and scalp muscles.
- Dry eye syndrome: This condition can cause eye pain and discomfort, especially with movement, but it's less likely to be associated with fever.
- Sinusitis (bacterial): While less common than viral sinusitis, bacterial sinusitis can cause similar symptoms, including pain that worsens with movement due to increased pressure in the sinuses.
Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Meningitis: Although less common, meningitis is a critical diagnosis that must be considered, especially if the patient has a severe headache, fever, and neck stiffness. The pain in the eyes when moving could be due to meningismus (inflammation of the meninges).
- Encephalitis: Similar to meningitis, encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain tissue and can present with fever, headache, and sometimes eye pain or photophobia.
- Temporal arteritis: This condition, more common in older adults, involves inflammation of the blood vessels and can cause headache, fever, and eye pain, especially with movement of the eyes.
Rare Diagnoses
- Orbital cellulitis: An infection of the tissues surrounding the eye, which can cause pain with eye movement, fever, and headache, but it's typically associated with more significant swelling and redness of the orbit.
- Cavernous sinus thrombosis: A rare but serious condition that can cause headache, fever, and eye pain, often with additional symptoms such as ptosis, proptosis, and cranial nerve palsies.
- Trigeminal neuralgia: Although typically not associated with fever, this condition can cause severe pain in the face, including the eyes, but the pain is usually more episodic and triggered by specific actions like chewing or touching the face.