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Presentation comparison
RoutineCovers somatic symptoms, illness anxiety, functional neurological symptoms, medical disease, factitious disorder, and malingering as distinct differentials.
4 of 7 diagnoses compared
| CriteriaComparison detail | Somatic symptom disorderRoutine |
|---|
Driven by excessive time, energy, and distress around symptoms, not by symptoms being fake.
Clinical reference — not validated decision support. Review before use.
| Illness anxiety disorderRoutine |
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| Functional neurological symptom disorderRoutine |
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| PanicRoutine |
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| DepressionRoutineNot selected |
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| Genuine neurological or medical diseaseRoutineNot selected |
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| Factitious disorderRoutineNot selected |
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| Why it fits | Distressing physical symptoms with disproportionate symptom focus, checking, repeated healthcare use | Persistent fear of serious illness despite minimal symptoms and repeated reassurance | Weakness, non-epileptic events, gait/sensory/speech symptoms inconsistent with neurological disease | Chest tightness, paraesthesias, dizziness, derealisation, tremor in threat states | Fatigue, pain, heaviness, GI symptoms, sleep disruption within mood/anxiety syndrome | New focal signs, objective weight loss, inflammatory markers, persistent abnormal observations | Inconsistent presentation, deceptive behaviour, symptom production, incentive-linked pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What argues against | Applies to the whole presentationReview locally. | ||||||
| Must-not-miss | Iatrogenic harm, hidden depression/trauma, genuine disease overlooked | Escalating investigations, severe avoidance, hidden OCD/depression | Missing stroke, seizure disorder, myasthenia, cord compression | ACS, PE, arrhythmia, | |||
| Bedside question | Applies to the whole presentationDriven by excessive time, energy, and distress around symptoms, not by symptoms being fake. | ||||||
| Immediate action | Applies to the whole presentationStabilise and reassess. | ||||||
| Investigations | Applies to the whole presentationGuided by presentation. | ||||||
| Mimics / overlap | Applies to the whole presentationReview overlap locally. | ||||||
Scroll horizontally to review more candidate differentials. Clinical reference — not validated decision support. Review before use.
Review locally.
Driven by excessive time, energy, and distress around symptoms, not by symptoms being fake.
Stabilise and reassess.
Guided by presentation.
Review overlap locally.
Distressing physical symptoms with disproportionate symptom focus, checking, repeated healthcare use
Iatrogenic harm, hidden depression/trauma, genuine disease overlooked
Persistent fear of serious illness despite minimal symptoms and repeated reassurance
Escalating investigations, severe avoidance
Weakness, non-epileptic events, gait/sensory/speech symptoms inconsistent with neurological disease
Missing stroke, seizure disorder
Chest tightness, paraesthesias, dizziness, derealisation, tremor in threat states
ACS, PE,
Based on current selection
Safety first. Act early.
Create a concise comparison summary for documentation or handoff.
Source pending review
v10 | Local content only
Last updated: Pending review
Open a selected differential to review its clinical record.
Based on current selection
Safety first. Act early.
Create a concise comparison summary for documentation or handoff.
Source pending review
v10 | Local content only
Last updated: Pending review
| Weight loss, suicidality, psychotic depression, untreated sleep apnoea/endocrine disease |
| Stroke, seizure, PE, endocrine disease, malignancy, infection, autoimmune |
| Missing real illness, self-harm through induction, safeguarding concerns |