Differential Diagnosis For Pediatric Fever: Disease Categories

OVERVIEW

This page is dedicated to covering the differential diagnosis for pediatric fever. This differential will be organized by disease categories.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR DISEASE CATEGORIES?

When thinking about the differential for TERM the following disease categories come to mind:

• Infectious
• Inflammatory
• Iatrogenic
• Malignancy

INFECTIOUS CAUSES OF PEDIATRIC FEVER

The following are all different types of infections that can cause a fever in children

General viral infections

• Influenza
• Measles
• Mumps

Dermatological infections

• Cellulitis
• Scarlet fever
• Hand/foot/mouth
• Chicken pox

HEENT Infections

• Sinusitis/sinus infection
• Acute otitis media
• Strep throat
• EBV infection (mononucleosis)

Cardiac infections

• Infective endocarditis

Pulmonary infections

• Upper respiratory infections (generic)
• Croup
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Pneumonia 
• Tuberculosis

Gastrointestinal infections

• Escherichia coli infection
• Appendicits
• Pseudomembranous colitis

Genitourinary infections 

• Urinary tract infection
• Pyelonephritis

CNS infections 

• Aseptic meningitis
• Bacterial meningitis
• Herpes encephalitis

Musculoskeletal infections:

• Septic arthritis
• Osteomyelitis

Other

• Bacteremia

INFLAMMATORY CAUSES OF PEDIATRIC FEVER

The following are inflammatory processes that can cause a fever in children

• Kawasaki disease

IATROGENIC CAUSES OF PEDIATRIC FEVER

The following are iatrogenic causes of a fever in children

• MMR vaccine (can occur 7-12 days after receiving vaccine, generally does not last long).

MALIGNANT CAUSES OF PEDIATRIC FEVER

The following are different cancer conditions that can cause a fever in children

• Leukemias: acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Page Updated: 10.08.2016