Back pain differential diagnosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hadeel Maksoud M.D.[2]


An expert algorithm to assist in the diagnosis of back pain can be found here

Overview

There are several life-threatening causes of back pain which need to be evaluated for first, which include; spinal cord or cauda equina compression, aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm, vertebral osteomyelitis, epidural abscess, and metastatic cancer. The other possible causes of back pain can be evaluated for by carefully assessing the nature of the pain, and obtaining a thorough patient history.

Differential Diagnosis

Life Threatening Causes

Life threatening diseases to exclude immediately include:[1][2][3][4][2][3][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Common Causes

Differential Diagnosis of Back Pain

Classification of pain in the back based on etiology Diease Clinical Manifestation Diagnosis Comments
Symptoms Signs Lab findings Imaging
Onset Duration Quality of pain Stiffness Fever Rigors and chills Headache Nausea and vomiting Weight loss Motor weakness Sensory deficit Bowel or bladder dysfunction Horner's syndrome
Vascular Aortic dissection
Aortic aneurysm

- Abdominal aortic aneurysm

- Thoracic aortic aneurysm

Chronic stable angina
Pulmonary embolism
Traumatic aortic rupture
Retroperitoneal hematoma
Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome
Neurological Arachnoiditis
Cauda equina syndrome
Epidural abscess
Radiculopathy
Sciatica
Spinal cord compression

- Thoracic spine

- Lumbar spine

Bone Ankylosing spondylitis
Bertolotti's syndrome (Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae)
Chronic recurrent focal osteomyelitis
Cervical fracture
Degenerative disc disease
Disc herniation
Discitis
Hyperkyphosis
Osteoarthritis
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
Sacroilitis
Scheuermann (juvenile) kyphosis
Scoliosis
Spinal stenosis
Spondylosis
Vertebral compression fracture
Vertebral osteomyelitis
Non-spinal infections Appendicitis
Endocarditis
Cholelithiasis
Cystitis
Myalgia
Nephrolithiasis
Pyelonephritis
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Pneumonia
Pyomyositis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Tumors Ewing's sarcoma
Langerhans cell histiocytosis (eosinophilic granulomas)
Leukemia
Lymphoma
Neurofibroma
Osteoblastoma
Osteoid osteoma
Osteosarcoma
Prostate cancer
Muscle-related Abnormal posturing
Muscle spasm
Pyriformis syndrome
Miscellaneous Chronic fatigue syndrome
Depression
Herpes zoster
Pregnancy
Premenstrual syndrome
Sickle cell anemia
Syringomyelia
Trauma
Ureteropelvic junction obstruction

References

  1. Chou R, Qaseem A, Owens DK, Shekelle P (February 2011). "Diagnostic imaging for low back pain: advice for high-value health care from the American College of Physicians". Ann. Intern. Med. 154 (3): 181–9. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-154-3-201102010-00008. PMID 21282698.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Schiff D, O'Neill BP, Suman VJ (August 1997). "Spinal epidural metastasis as the initial manifestation of malignancy: clinical features and diagnostic approach". Neurology. 49 (2): 452–6. PMID 9270576.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Deyo RA, Diehl AK (1988). "Cancer as a cause of back pain: frequency, clinical presentation, and diagnostic strategies". J Gen Intern Med. 3 (3): 230–8. PMID 2967893.
  4. Sun JC, Xu T, Chen KF, Qian W, Liu K, Shi JG, Yuan W, Jia LS (April 2014). "Assessment of cauda equina syndrome progression pattern to improve diagnosis". Spine. 39 (7): 596–602. doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000000079. PMID 24150427.
  5. Jarvik JG, Deyo RA (October 2002). "Diagnostic evaluation of low back pain with emphasis on imaging". Ann. Intern. Med. 137 (7): 586–97. PMID 12353946.
  6. Underwood MR, Dawes P (November 1995). "Inflammatory back pain in primary care". Br. J. Rheumatol. 34 (11): 1074–7. PMID 8542211.
  7. "Acute low back problems in adults: assessment and treatment. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research". Clin Pract Guidel Quick Ref Guide Clin (14): iii–iv, 1–25. December 1994. PMID 7987418.
  8. Ropper AH, Zafonte RD (March 2015). "Sciatica". N. Engl. J. Med. 372 (13): 1240–8. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1410151. PMID 25806916.
  9. Delitto A, Piva SR, Moore CG, Fritz JM, Wisniewski SR, Josbeno DA, Fye M, Welch WC (April 2015). "Surgery versus nonsurgical treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis: a randomized trial". Ann. Intern. Med. 162 (7): 465–73. doi:10.7326/M14-1420. PMID 25844995.
  10. Papadopoulos EC, Khan SN (January 2004). "Piriformis syndrome and low back pain: a new classification and review of the literature". Orthop. Clin. North Am. 35 (1): 65–71. doi:10.1016/S0030-5898(03)00105-6. PMID 15062719.
  11. Hopayian K, Song F, Riera R, Sambandan S (December 2010). "The clinical features of the piriformis syndrome: a systematic review". Eur Spine J. 19 (12): 2095–109. doi:10.1007/s00586-010-1504-9. PMC 2997212. PMID 20596735.
  12. Potter NA, Rothstein JM (November 1985). "Intertester reliability for selected clinical tests of the sacroiliac joint". Phys Ther. 65 (11): 1671–5. PMID 2932746.
  13. Russel AS, Maksymowych W, LeClercq S (December 1981). "Clinical examination of the sacroiliac joints: a prospective study". Arthritis Rheum. 24 (12): 1575–7. PMID 7326071.
  14. Levangie PK (November 1999). "Four clinical tests of sacroiliac joint dysfunction: the association of test results with innominate torsion among patients with and without low back pain". Phys Ther. 79 (11): 1043–57. PMID 10534797.
  15. Riddle DL, Freburger JK (August 2002). "Evaluation of the presence of sacroiliac joint region dysfunction using a combination of tests: a multicenter intertester reliability study". Phys Ther. 82 (8): 772–81. PMID 12147007.
  16. Irwin RW, Watson T, Minick RP, Ambrosius WT (January 2007). "Age, body mass index, and gender differences in sacroiliac joint pathology". Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 86 (1): 37–44. PMID 17304687.
  17. Jancuska JM, Spivak JM, Bendo JA (2015). "A Review of Symptomatic Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebrae: Bertolotti's Syndrome". Int J Spine Surg. 9: 42. doi:10.14444/2042. PMC 4603258. PMID 26484005.


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